Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon
by JennHammond
Summary: A retelling of Naoko Takeuchi's classic manga, Sailor Moon. Usagi learns she is the champion of justice, Sailor Moon, and on her journey she makes friends, falls in love, and learns about her past, her future, and her destiny beyond the stars.
1. Author's Note

Authors Note: This is, technically, not a fan fiction. I have been a fan of Naoko Takeuchi's work for half of my life. Her most famous work, the manga of _Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon_, has influenced my life as well as the lives of many others around the world. Takeuchi inspired me to write, and every story I have ever written or plan to write is either an homage to Sailor Moon, or has plenty of references throughout. The year 2012 marks the twentieth anniversary of the first publication of Sailor Moon, and I would like to pay honor to it in my own way.

The Sailor Moon manga, as an art form, is stunning. The anime, toys, video games, and live performances have failed to capture the beauty, romance, and visual spectacle of the manga. There is literally no way to copy it. So instead, I plan on writing the story of the manga, which has significant differences from the well-known anime. Since this is in English, I will take Takeuchi's translations and make them flow more easily with modern American English. I also had to make some decisions regarding Japanese grammar; the names are going to be in the Western style of first name, last name, but I am keeping the honorifics.

I am doing this project for three people. One of them is the fans of Sailor Moon, so they can appreciate the story in a different medium. The other is for people who have never read Sailor Moon, or know anything about the story. Mostly, this is for those people. Sailor Moon has influenced the way that stories for young girls have been written across the globe, not just Japan, and I want to show how it all began. And finally, this is for our Princess Naoko, as a thank you for all she has done.

-Jenn Hammond, 05/29/11


	2. Act 1: Usagi

Naoko Takeuchi's

**Sailor Moon**

retold by Jenn Hammond

Book 1: Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon

_~for Kirsten, Taylor, Haley, and Isabella, and all other pretty soldiers around the world~_

Act 1: Usagi

Ikuko Tsukino sat down at the table with her morning coffee and newspaper, enjoying the silence of the morning. It was stressful being a housewife in Tokyo. There were countless errands to run every day to maintain her household. Their large house took all day to clean. She was required at the side of her husband at countless events for the magazine he worked for. Her son played nearly every sport that involved running, racing, hitting, and fierce competition. And then there was her daughter.

She checked the clock again, just to make sure she was reading it right. It was nearly eight in the morning, and Ikuko hoped that her fourteen-year-old daughter was already awake and preparing for another day of middle school. Most likely she was in the bathroom, meticulously wrapping her long, blond hair into two pig-tailed buns on top of her head, to make herself resemble her namesake: a rabbit. Ikuko often wondered where her daughter got that blond hair from anyway. Her and Kenji, her husband, both had dark hair, and Usagi Tsukino had been born with golden hair. In fact, Ikuko couldn't think of one Japanese person who had been born with natural blond hair, ever. The thought upset her sometimes, and she pushed it back down as she glanced over the newspaper.

She grinned at the front page picture, "Maybe Usagi isn't the only blonde running around Tokyo."

The picture featured a girl with blond hair that went far beyond the waist of her school girl outfit, wearing huge, red goggles to match her hair bow, and a small grin at the cameraman as she ran off. The headline: SAILOR V SAVES THE DAY, AGAIN.

Ikuko skimmed over the article, which was basically the same Sailor V story that ran nearly every week. Somehow, this girl would appear whenever a crime was being committed, help whoever was in need while fighting the bad guys, and running off before the police could catch her. There was nothing new about her, only the same question as always, "Who is this masked girl?"

"If only my daughter was always on time like Sailor V," Ikuko sighed as she checked the clock again. It was now past eight o'clock, and there were still no signs of life from upstairs.

"Usagi!" Ikuko yelled, "You're going to be late for school again!"

Usagi's blue eyes flew open in terror. Suppressing a scream, she jumped out of bed and grabbed her school uniform from her closet. It wasn't until she was in her bathroom, trying to brush her teeth and do her hair at the same time, that she started to hyperventilate.

"I'm going to be late," Usagi breathed, "Horribly, horribly late. _Again_. Haruda is going to kill me, she really will this time. I know it."

Once Usagi deemed herself worthy for an appearance in the outside world, her panic turned into anger. As she flew down the stairs she yelled, "Mom, why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

"Oh sorry, I didn't realize that was my job," Ikuko grumbled, casually sipping her coffee.

Usagi tried her best not to call her Mom anything rude, yelling out, "Bye!" as she slipped on her shoes and ran out the door, slamming it behind her.

Unlike her little brother, Usagi was not sporty at all. Running was probably her least favorite thing ever, and now here she was, using all her might to hurl herself toward her junior high before the bell rang. Tears clouded her vision, making it hard to see where she was running. She had reached the third stage of her "late for school" emotions: worry.

"I'm not going to make it," she moaned to herself, "I'm going to be late. I always am. Why does school have to be so early? I'm still sleepy!"

She attempted to tell herself, _Stop being such a crybaby Usagi-chan. You are always crying about everything! _But thinking this only made her feel worse, and more tears started to flow from her eyes. Therefore, she didn't notice the cat she stepped on while she was wiping her tears.

"Whoa, whoa!" she called out as she tried to stop herself from falling, but failed. She grumbled, "Ouch," as she picked herself up from the sidewalk, "What did I step on?"

She gasped when she was it was a small, black cat, lying on the ground and making just as much fuss as she was.

"I'm so sorry!" Usagi scrambled over to the cat, picking it up to make sure it was alright, "Are you okay? You're so cute."

The cat looked as if she had been through a rough time as well. Her fur was dirty, she smelled bad, and she had two Band-Aids on her forehead in the shape of an X. Despite this, Usagi smiled and said, "Here, this will make you feel better!" and she gave the cat a little kiss.

But this made the cat seem to go crazy. She swiped at Usagi's face and tried to wiggle out of her hands.

"What's wrong, kitty?" Usagi asked, as if the cat could reply, "Do these Band-Aids upset you? Here, let me take them off."

Just as she lifted them off the cat's forehead, it jumped out of her arms and landed perfectly on the wall behind her. Instead of running away, the cat turned to look at her.

Usagi's mouth hung open when she saw just what was under the Band-Aids. A bald spot, right in the middle of the cat's forehead, in the shape of a crescent moon. Usagi stared at the cat. The cat stared at Usagi. The two of them stood perfectly still, in silence, mesmerized by each other.

Until the bell rang.

"Oh no!" Usagi screamed and resumed running toward her school. She called over her shoulder, "Bye weird kitty! Got to go!"

The most feared eighth-grade homeroom teacher at Juuban Junior High was Haruna Sakurada-sensei. The students secretly nicknamed her 'Haruda' behind her back, knowing full well that if she knew anyone was whispering about her, they would be in trouble. So naturally, when Usagi opened the door to her first class, she was greeted by Haruda yelling, "Usagi Tsukino-san! Late again I see!"

"I'm sorry," Usagi attempted to explain, "There was a cat and..."

She didn't get to finish. Haruda just pointed toward the hallway, not saying a word. Usagi sighed, knowing her fate. She shut the door and stood in the hall, alone with her thoughts.

_It's not fair,_ Usagi said in her mind, _Why do I always have to stand out in the hall? How did I end up with the meanest teacher in school?_

Her stomach growled, interrupting her thoughts. Usagi looked both ways, making sure nobody was watching her, before reaching into her book bag and grabbing her bento lunch. She whispered to herself, "Breakfast time," before opening her mouth to take a bite of sandwich.

But before the food entered her mouth, the door to her classroom slid open, and Haruda was glaring at her, "I know you're not eating in the hallway, right?"

"Of course not," Usagi tried to laugh, "I was just making sure I packed my lunch, and..."

Haruda interrupted her again, handing her a piece of paper, "I was just passing back the English exams from last week. I thought you should have yours."

Usagi gulped, accepting the paper. She read it as Haruda slammed the door shut.

She couldn't believe her eyes. It was her lowest score yet. She stood there in disbelief until the bell rang, and her classmates poured out of the room.

The first person to greet her, unfortunately, was the class nerd, Umino, "Usagi-san, how did you do on the exam?"

"None of your business," Usagi said, clutching the test close to her chest so nobody could see.

"That bad, huh?" he smiled as he adjusted his round glasses.

Thankfully, Usagi's best friend came to her rescue, "Usagi, was it true you were eating your lunch out here? Already?"

"You always know what to say, don't you Naru-chan?"

Umino was not about to drop the topic of the exam, "I really slacked off on this one. But this test was fine. It was like a game." He held up his paper, proudly displaying his score: ninety-five.

"A game? Really?" Naru rolled her eyes, "Stop being such a smarty-pants show off all the time. Come on Usagi-chan."

Naru looked down at her own score, "Still, Umino was the only person I didn't want to get beaten by. An eighty-five is still good, I suppose. What did you get, Usagi?"

"Oh, you know, a typical score," she tried to brush it off.

"You didn't get a fifty, did you?"

"What? No! I mean, who gets a fifty these days?"

Naru narrowed her eyes, "It's lower than that, isn't it?"

"It might be a thirty. But you know, it's not bad. Right?"

Naru linked arms with her friend, "Oh, Usagi-chan..."

Lunch was Usagi's favorite part of the school day. She sat on the lawn with Naru, and her other two casual friends, Yumiko and Kuri. They had brought their gossip magazines with them, and they were going through them while they ate, "Hey, you guys have heard of Sailor V, right?"

"Sailor who?" Usagi asked.

"Well, last night there was this robbery at a jewelry store."

"I didn't know it was a jewelry store," Kuri said, "How scary."

Seemingly out of nowhere, Umino joined their circle, "But Sailor V showed up and caught the criminals!"

Usagi took a sip of tea and said, "Nobody has still told me who this Sailor V is yet."

"Everyone has heard of her!" Umino said, preparing to start on one of his usual, nerdy rants, "She fights crime wearing a sailor school uniform! I heard a rumor that she's a secret agent for the police."

"Really?" Usagi asked, "Why would somebody do that? These are some strange times we live in."

"I know!" Umino continued, "And there's not just burglars, there are lots of strange things happening around town! If you watch the news like I do, you'll notice a conspiracy."

Kuri grinned mischievously, "But I totally understand where those thieves were coming from. If I were a burglar, I would definitely hit a jewelry store."

"I would too," Yumiko agreed, "Jewels are so beautiful."

"Hey Naru-chan," Usagi said, "Your Mom owns a jewelry store, right?"

Naru nodded, "Yeah, and there's a big sale right now too. With prices even we can afford."

The three other girls shrieked with excitement, "No way! We have to go after school to see!"

Usagi pushed her face as close to the glass as she could, to ensure she was getting the very best view of the precious stones.

"That ruby is called pigeon's blood," Naru explained, "It's worth one billion yen. And that stone in the necklace is a yellow diamond. It's too bad these aren't included in the sale."

Usagi grinned, "Then let's go inside and see the ones we can buy!"

It was hard making their way through the throng of customers, mostly middle-aged women, but eventually they found Naru's mother at the cash register.

"Hi Naru-chan! Hello girls!" she greeted, seeming far too cheerful to be running a busy store, "Why don't you all take a look around. Naru-chan, your friends can get a bigger discount!"

As they wandered through the shop, Usagi whispered to Naru, "I don't remember your Mom ever being so generous with sales."

"Yeah, she's never done this before," Naru replied, "It's like she woke up one day business savvy. I wonder what happened."

The girls didn't notice they were being watched, ever so carefully, by Naru's mother. She chuckled to herself between customers, "Yes girls, buy whatever you want. And I'll take your energy. I need more, and more, and more..."

Meanwhile, Usagi checked her coin purse, but there were only a few coins inside, not nearly enough to get anything good. She immediately thought about asking her Dad for some cash, but remembered that she only got that if she did well in school.

"I should get going," Usagi told her friends, "See you at school tomorrow."

When nobody was looking, she stood outside the store and took her English exam from her book bag. She stared at the huge, red number thirty, hoping that somehow she could make it change to a one hundred with her mind. Surprisingly, it didn't work.

"I hate this," she grumbled. She crumpled up the test and threw it over her shoulder, wishing to never see it again. A voice behind her said, "Hey!"

She whipped around to find that her test had landed right in the face of a young man.

"Thanks a lot, lump head," he complained behind his sunglasses, "Are you trying to give me a lump on my head too?"

"Excuse me!" Usagi instinctively reached up to the two round buns on top of her head, "These are not _lumps_, they're dumplings! See?"

The young man opened up the paper, and Usagi finally realized that this man was wearing an extremely fancy tuxedo. Something about this guy was just not right.

"You got a thirty?" he laughed, "You need to study more, dumpling head," and with that, he rested the exam on her head, right between her buns.

"It's none of your business!" Usagi stated as she grabbed her test and stormed off. After a few steps she glanced back at the rude guy, to find him staring at the jewelry shop. She didn't, however, notice him quietly say, "I wonder if I can find what I'm looking for in this place. The Silver Crystal..."

Usagi slowly walked through downtown, dreading what would happen when her parents would see the exam. She wanted to delay it as soon as possible. She wandered toward her favorite arcade, and found a giant poster outside of it announcing a new game: Sailor V Fighter.

Usagi sighed, and thought to herself, _I wish I were Sailor V. She's so cool. All she does is fight bad guys, and she never has to study_.

She had a quick debate in her mind, and concluded that the little money she had should definitely be spent on the Sailor V game. She skipped inside the arcade and planted herself in front of an empty game. Once she put in a coin, a pixelated version of Sailor V appeared, announcing, "Code Name: Sailor V! I'm the beautiful sailor-suited soldier of justice. You're punished!"

The game turned out to be a typical action game, which got harder and harder as Sailor V progressed across the screen. She was fighting a particularly nasty character when someone appeared behind her, startling her a little.

"Hey Usagi-chan. In for a little after school arcade action?" the attendant asked. Usagi blushed, trying to focus on the game but also hold the attention of the cute boy behind her. She had always been too shy to ask his name.

"Oh, this part is tough," he commentated over her shoulder, "You have to use this jump kick. It's a secret move, there are lots of them. Even I haven't figured them all out yet. It's like a puzzle."

A loud, "MEOW!" interrupted him. Usagi jumped, and Sailor V was eaten by the monster. Her game was over.

"What the..." Usagi looked down at her feet, to find the same black cat from that morning, still staring up at her.

"It's that cat," the arcade guy said, "I've seen her around here a lot, but how did she get inside the arcade without anyone noticing?"

"I dunno," Usagi replied, "But do you see this weird bald spot on her forehead?"

The cat didn't move. She just continued to stare up at Usagi, just as she did that morning.

"Um," Usagi stood, "I think I'm just gonna go home. I'll be back tomorrow."

"I'm home!" Usagi announced, leaving her shoes at the door.

"You're late today," her mother said from the kitchen, "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," Usagi entered her favorite room in the house to see what was being made for dinner, "I was with Naru-chan."

"Speaking of your friends," Ikuko smiled, "I ran into Umino-kun while I was out today. He told me he got a ninety-five on his English exam, but said you wouldn't tell what you got. So?"

Usagi gritted her teeth and wished that Umino was in the room right then, so she could punch him. There was no hiding it, she had to surrender the test. She did so begrudgingly.

"Thirty!" Ikuko yelled. Usagi sighed; clearly her mother had been expecting a low score, but not that low. Her Mom continued, "Usagi Tsukino. If you're going to get grades like this, you shouldn't even come home! Outside! Now!"

Usagi's jaw dropped. First Haruda, and now her Mom.

"Out! Out!" with a spatula, Ikuko ushered her daughter out the front door, slamming it shut. Usagi flinched as she heard the lock click.

"Good work, stupid," came a call from the street. She looked over to see her brother had been playing ball with his friends. He ran to the door and wiggled the door knob. When he saw it was locked, he promptly kicked his older sister, "You got locked out of the house for bad grades again, didn't you?"

"Don't kick me, Shingo!" Usagi yelled, "And don't call me stupid!"

Shingo had figured out long ago how to easily pick the old lock. As he opened the door, he stuck out his tongue and pulled down a lower eye lid, giving Usagi a rude gesture.

"Hey!" she yelled, and tried to kick him back. But he slipped inside and shut the door, just in time for her foot to smash into it.

Her eyes watered up, her throat grew a knot, and she felt so insulted that she erupted into sobs, "Ouch ouch ouch! Mooom, please let me in! Please please!"

She could hear her brother on the other end, "She's gonna annoy the whole neighborhood, screaming like that."

"Fine!" she heard her Mother yell, and the door opened, "Get inside."

Usagi quickly obliged.

Sunset. Twilight. Night. It could only occur during the night.

He watched the lights in the jewelry shop turn off, and the last customer leave. He made sure his mask was covering his eyes before he stepped out of the shadows and carefully made his way near the shop. Inside, the shop owner was holding a glass tube that was glowing brighter and brighter.

She laughed, "I'm collecting more and more energy. I can't believe those silly women bought my energy stones, and now I shall take all of their energy. They must be collapsing right now, and with their energy gone they will become my slaves. I hope my slave army arrives soon," she looked around, her smile growing far larger than any human mouth could, waiting for her zombified customers to reappear.

He stepped back, blending into the darkness.

"Hm," the evil woman continued, "I suppose I will take the real jewels for myself. But I feel like something is missing, something important that should be here..."

Just then a girl entered through the back of the shop, with wavy hair just like her mother's, "Mom, what are you still doing in here?"

The woman just laughed, and her eyes began to glow.

Usagi shut the door to her room and sighed. It had been such a long day. It was night and she was still in her school uniform.

She observed her outfit in her mirror. It was just a typical sailor uniform, with a navy blue skirt that went to her knees, a white shirt with a blue sailor collar, and a red bow on her chest. She wished her school was more creative with their uniforms; she had heard that the new Mugen Academy had plaid sailor outfits, while the Catholic girls school near Sendai Hill had very formal, gray and black sailor uniforms.

Usagi kicked her book bag across her room, and her homework came loose. She sighed, "That's the last thing I want to do right now. I'm so tired from all that crying. And my bed looks so tempting."

She curled up on her frilly white bed, "A little nap won't hurt, will it?" and she dozed off quickly.

Usagi had never had a dream in which she realized she was dreaming, but it was happening now. She saw herself dressed as Sailor V, and was even pixelated like in the video game. She was fighting the monster in the game, and with one swipe of a glowing sword, she took it out. Behind it was the arcade guy, chained to a wall. Usagi/Sailor V rushed over to him and set him free, and he smiled and said, "You saved the cat," and he handed her the strange, black cat.

She stared down at the cat, with its huge eyes and moon-shaped bald spot. And it stared back at her. And very suddenly, in real life, she felt something scratch her face.

"Ouch!" wide awake, Usagi sat up in bed. She could feel a stinging on her face where something small and pointy had scratched her, "What's going on?"

The first thing she noticed was that her bedroom window was wide open. And next, that the same cat was sitting on her bed. And lastly, she heard a squeaky voice saying, "Don't call it a bald spot. That's just rude."

Usagi had to register the fact that only she and the cat were in the room, and therefore it was the cat saying this. She couldn't believe her eyes. She just stared blankly as the cat cleared her throat and said, "My name is Luna. I've been searching for you, Usagi Tsukino-chan. Thank you for peeling off that bandage; I couldn't talk or think straight with it on. Some horrible kids around here put that on me. Anyway, I'm glad that I finally found you. I was becoming worried that I wouldn't, and goodness knows what I would do if I couldn't find you."

"Okay," said Usagi, mostly to herself, "Good night," and she flopped back onto her pillow, shutting her eyes tight and trying to change the dream she was having.

"Usagi-chan!" she heard the cat say a little angrily, "This isn't a dream."

"Oh, it's a dream alright," Usagi replied.

"Well, then you had better wake up, because I have a present for you."

Intrigued, Usagi opened one eye. Luna moved from the spot she was standing on, revealing a glittering brooch on her bed. It was shaped like a waxing moon, with sparkling stars in the dark side, and surrounded by four pearls that were blue, red, green and yellow.

"Wow!" Usagi sat up, feeling wide awake and excited, "Is that really for me? It's so pretty!" She grabbed the brooch, rushed to her mirror, and pinned it right in the middle of the red bow of her school uniform.

"Now this is important, Usagi-chan. Listen. There are strange events happening all over Tokyo. Things that are far beyond the capabilities of the police. You see, Usagi-chan, you are the chosen warrior. Your mission is to assemble your team and defeat your enemy. Also, you need to search for our princess, and then..."

Usagi was only half listening to Luna. Mostly she was admiring her new accessory in her mirror. Just when she was thinking about how jealous all the girls who spent their money on jewelry were going to be tomorrow, the brooch started to glow.

"Luna, what's happening?"

"You don't believe me, do you? Call out 'Moon'!"

"Moon?" Usagi said, a little uncertainly. At that moment, she felt a rush of warm energy, coming from the brooch above her heart and covering her whole body. The words came naturally out of her mouth, "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

She felt warm, glowing and, somehow, magical. She shut her eyes as she felt the power wash over her, and when she opened them, she was looking through huge, red goggles.

"What?" she reached up to feel her face, noticing a huge difference. There were moon shaped earrings on her ears, a glittering tiara with a red pendant on her forehead, and winged barrettes above her bangs. Looking in the mirror, she noticed there were some red pendants pinned to her buns. Then she looked down at her clothes, and she couldn't believe what she saw.

Her school uniform had completely transformed. Her blue skirt was shorter, and her top had turned into a leotard with short sleeves and a blue sailor collar. Now she had long white gloves on and red boots going up to her knees. Her outfit put Sailor V's to shame.

"Luna, what is this outfit? Am I..." she started to ask, but a distant voice in her ears interrupted her. She could hear a girl faintly call out for help. She sounded suspiciously like Naru.

Instantly she could see Naru right in front of her, as if she was looking right to where Naru was exactly. Usagi yanked off her goggles to see that the lenses had turned into what could only be small television screens. The picture they played was frightening. Naru was being attacked by some monster that resembled Naru's mother. It was grabbing her struggling friend and trying to pin her against a wall.

"So, Usagi-chan?" Luna asked, "Do you believe in me now?"

"Luna," Usagi felt on the edge of panic, "Naru-chan is in danger. I don't really know what's going on, but we have to go help her!"

Luna smiled and nodded, jumping onto the window sill. Usagi carefully followed her.

During the commotion, he crept into the shop, staying in the shadows. The monster was grabbing this girl, attempting to strangle her.

"Let me go!" Naru screamed, "Help! Stop it Mom!"

"I'm not your mother, stupid girl," as the monster spoke, her face stretched and melted against her bones, so she resembled a fleshy skeleton, "She's tied up in the basement. She's probably starving to death by now."

"No!" Naru screamed at the top of her lungs, "Help me, somebody please help me!"

Still, he stayed back. He did not come here to be a hero, and rescue a girl who was being attacked. He had come looking for the item he so desperately desired. He peered carefully around a corner, watching the girl faint through the white mask over his eyes. He jumped when the doors to the jewelry shop were forced open, and a girl with streaming blond hair rushed in.

"Let her go!" Usagi yelled, sounding as threatening as possible. She rushed into the shop with Luna at her side, and she demanded, "Get away from Naru-chan, you ugly old hag!"

"Oh?" the monster turned over her shoulder to see who had entered, "And who might you be?"

"Huh? Oh, um, I'm, um..." Usagi wasn't about to say her real name right then, not when she was in her superhero outfit. Sailor V had her own name, but Usagi hadn't thought that far.

Luna meowed, and looked up at the shining moon in the night sky.

_Of course_, Usagi thought, _That makes perfect sense_.

She stood with her fists on her hips and declared, "I'm the sailor-suited pretty soldier of love and justice! Sailor Moon!"

The monster just laughed, "Sailor Moon? I've never heard of a Sailor Moon. But it doesn't matter," she tossed the exhausted Naru aside as she stood tall and held her skeletal arms in the air, "For my slaves have arrived! Attack!"

Women and girls began pouring in through the open door. They moved like zombies, moaning as they walked. Then, slowly, they lifted their head to reveal that their eyes had gone completely white.

"Slaves!" the monster yelled, "Kill this girl!"

"Kill, kill," they moaned, but suddenly their bodies moved in a more human way. One of them smashed a glass display table, took the biggest piece of broken glass, and tried to cut Usagi.

"Aah!" Usagi screamed as she dodged the attack. She tripped over her new boots, scraping her knee.

"Ouch," Usagi examined her injury, "Oh my gosh, I'm bleeding. This really isn't a dream after all."

"Usagi-chan, what are you doing?" Luna was suddenly at her side, "Get up and fight that monster!"

"What? How!" Usagi felt panic as more of the hypnotized people made their way toward her, reaching out to hurt her in any way they could. Usagi got her feet and tried to limp away from them, "Luna, I can't fight. I don't know how."

She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes again, and that thick knot was sitting in her throat. But this was worse than ever. This wasn't just a bad grade or being late for school or having a fight with her Mom, this was life or death.

"Why do bad things always happen to me?" she moaned out loud as she felt herself cornered against a wall, "I don't want to do this anymore! I want to go home!" she couldn't hold it back anymore. She began to wail.

As she helplessly cried, she heard something smashing, and a lot of yelling. Afraid that the people were breaking more glass to cut her with, she looked up and saw that the glass windows had broken, and the zombies were covering their ears. The monster appeared to be in agonizing pain, "That sound, those cries, they're supersonic! My ears!"

Usagi blinked the tears out. Somehow, her super suit must have amplified her voice. The enemy was temporarily disabled... but now what?

"Don't cry," came a low, masculine voice from behind her, "This is your chance, Sailor Moon."

Her tears practically vanished. Whoever that voice belonged to, it was comforting and warm. Before she could turn around to see who was there, Luna was at her side.

"Now, Usagi-chan! You can use your tiara as a weapon. It's like a Frisbee."

Usagi carefully reached up and removed the gold tiara that was wrapped around her forehead. Sure enough, it was round, forming a perfect circle.

"Cool," Usagi smiled for the first time since she transformed, and aiming it at the monster she yelled out as she threw it, "Moon Tiara Frisbee!"

The monster cried out, and the tiara went straight through her, cutting her in half. The two halves dissolved into sand. Usagi nearly screamed. Around her, the hypnotized people collapsed, returning to sleep.

The masculine voice returned, louder this time, "Well, it seems the Silver Crystal isn't here, but at least I got to see something very interesting."

Usagi turned around, and came face to face with a tall man dressed in a tuxedo, top hat, and a long cape. A white mask was covering just his eyes.

"You," Usagi said quietly, "Your voice, from before..."

"My name is Tuxedo Kamen," he said, tilting his white _kamen _mask so that one of his eyes looked into hers. She gasped; his eyes were a deep blue, like the ocean, "I won't forget you, Sailor Moon."

Usagi couldn't move. She was mesmerized by the color of his eyes, his comforting voice, and his attractive outfit. He leaped through a shattered window and disappeared into the shadows.

"Wow," Usagi whispered in awe, "How... gorgeous."

"Great work, Usagi-chan!" Luna's cheers interrupted her thoughts, "That monster posed as your friend's mother, then sold gems that took people's energy. That's part of the enemy's plan, they're already beginning their subtle invasion. Therefore... Usagi-chan, are you even listening?"

Usagi was just snapping out of her reverie when the women around her started slowly waking up. Even Naru moved, coughed, and asked out loud, "What happened?"

"Time to go, Usagi-chan," Luna said, and Usagi quickly followed her out of the store.

_This is a pretty sweet dream,_ Usagi thought to herself as they dashed through the dark alleys of Tokyo, heading toward her house, _There was magic, action, and even a hot guy. Perfect._

"Interesting."

The dark crystal ball, which was been showing everything that had happened at the jewelry store, faded to black. The man who had been watching it all ran a hand through his yellow hair, feeling nervous but tried to keep composed. It had been the first attempt at an invasion, after all. He had bigger and better things planned up his sleeve. This defeat was just an accident.

"Sailor Moon," he said the name for the first time, "It appears you will be my foe. I will have to think more cleverly, for the Silver Crystal is now in jeopardy. I must find it, as soon as possible."

"And then!" Naru's arms were waving wildly as she continued to tell the story to her friends, "Just as that... thing... was about to kill me, a sailor soldier appeared! If I hadn't fainted right then, I could have seen her face!"

"Naru-chan," Kuri said skeptically, "Are you sure you weren't dreaming?"

"Are you kidding?" Naru practically yelled, "Of course it was all real! It really happened!"

Usagi hadn't joined the lunch circle. Instead she held back, hiding behind a tree, and listened to every word of the story. She ran a hand over the jeweled brooch on her chest, and sighed. When she had woken up that morning, her clothes had turned back to normal, and for a moment had convinced herself that it was truly a dream. But the brooch was still there, and there was a huge scab on her knee, and a talking black cat was gently telling her that it was time to get up and prepare for anything.

"Right," she sighed to herself, "It definitely wasn't a dream."


	3. Act 2: Ami

Act 2- Ami

A dark, cold mist rolled into the gates of the stone castle, filling it with more dread and darkness. But it did not bother her. She kept her long-fingered hands around her crystal ball, preparing to gaze into the realms of the planet. She casually looked up, regarding one of her generals who had requested an audience with her in her throne room. The corners of her dark red lips twitched upwards. She rarely took the time to appreciate the handsome looks of her generals, and this fair haired one reminded her of someone she once loved long ago.

"You still haven't found the Silver Crystal, have you?" she asked, breaking the silence. Her low voice echoed through the throne room.

"Yes, my Queen," he said, still kneeling with his eyes closed, ashamed, "I truly apologize."

"Our great ruler needs more power. You must collect more energy. And you _must _find the Silver Crystal."

"I understand, Queen Beryl. I, Jadeite of the Dark Kingdom's Far Eastern division, will do as you command."

"Hi Mom, I'm home!" Usagi said as she dashed into her home, ready for her afternoon snack.

"Hi Usagi! Don't get excited, dinner won't be ready for a while," Ikuko called out. She went to see her daughter at the front door, and noticed that her new black cat had followed her inside. She knelt down to pet it, "And hello to you, moony bald spot cat."

As if the cat understood her, she swiped at Ikuko and growled. Ikuko jumped back.

"Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? Her name's Luna. If you call her that mean name, she's gonna scratch you," Usagi said as she made her way upstairs, "Call me when the food's almost ready!"

Usagi's stomach growled when she walked into her room, "Man, I was really hungry too. How did Mom know?" She thought out loud, "Now what should I do in the meantime?"

On cue, Luna slipped in through the bedroom right before Usagi could close the door. The cat stared up at her.

"Oh, right," Usagi said, "So are you really gonna follow me around to spy on me?"

"That's not it," Luna said, "You're a brand new champion of justice! The enemy could reappear at any moment, and there is a lot to teach you before that happens!"

Usagi rolled her eyes as she sat down at her desk, "Who is the enemy anyway? Are they always going to be that scary?"

"Most likely," Luna said seriously, "They aren't human, but I'm sure you figured that out already, right?"

Usagi nodded and tried to pay attention and not think about the delicious things she could be eating right at that moment.

"They are evil," Luna continued, "They shouldn't be allowed to exist in this world. We have to stop them. Usagi-chan, we have to find your fellow soldiers, your allies. And we have to find our princess."

"Allies and our pudding," Usagi nodded, "I mean, princess. A princess."

"Yes," Luna said, "We have to search for them."

"Well, what about Sailor V?" Usagi suggested, "I mean, she's a sailor soldier, like me. And then there's Tuxedo Kamen!"

Luna seemed a little distant, "I believe I may have already located our second ally."

Luna waited patiently as Usagi did her hair for the night. She had to brush her pig-tails, adjust her buns to maintain their round shape, and tie bows all over her hair so it wouldn't get ruffled in her sleep. It was a long process, and Usagi happily hummed a song as she did her chore.

There were footsteps coming down the hall, "Usagi, I'm home!"

She poked her head out of the bathroom door, with only one side of her head tied back, "Hi Dad! You were at work late tonight."

"Don't I know it?" he smiled at her, "Getting ready for bed already? Is it a big day at school tomorrow?"

"Isn't it always?" Usagi rolled her eyes.

"Won't those mock exam scores be posted tomorrow?" he asked, "How well are you going to place, Usagi?"

"Near the bottom, I'm sure," she continued her hair ritual as she explained, "There's this girl at our school in class five, she's literally a genius. She always places at the top."

"Well, I'm sure if you spent more time on your studies instead of your hair, you would place at the top too."

Usagi stuck her tongue out at her father.

He just laughed, "Have a good sleep, dear. And good night to you too, little cat," he waved at Luna. The cat resisted the urge to roll her eyes as well.

Once she made sure Usagi was fast asleep, Luna crept out the window and dashed down the streets toward the arcade. She went in through her usual, secret way, crept down some passages, and made it to her secret computer. She typed in the name of a girl she had suspected to also have the power of the sailor soldiers, Ami Mizuno. Sure enough, her file said she also attended Juuban Junior High, and was in the eighth grade in class five.

Luna smiled.

Usagi sighed at the huge poster of everyone's test scores. Just as she suspected, she was in the bottom half of her class.

"Hey Usagi," Naru greeted her, with Yumiko at her side, "You're actually on time today."

Before Usagi could say hello to her friend, Umino popped up out of nowhere, "Look at that! Ami Mizuno, perfect score! I knew she would beat me again. It's only because she goes to Crystal Seminar."

"Isn't that the super elite college prep cram school?" Yumiko asked him.

"That's the one," Umino said, "Mizuno-san goes there. I heard her IQ is 300."

"Oh, I know that place," Naru said, "It's near the arcade, isn't it? I heard my Dad talk about it once, he said it's the most expensive cram school in the city."

"Mizuno-san's mother is a doctor, that's why she can go there," Umino said bitterly.

"Smart and rich, huh?" Naru said dreamily, "It's like she's not human. She's got it made."

"Yeah," Yumiko said, "But I heard she's really cold. Kuri said she once tried talking to her, and she was just so distant. She doesn't even have any friends, because all she does is study."

Just then the bell rang, and all of them made their way to Haruda's class. Umino, Naru and Yumiko kept going on about the supposed girl genius, but Usagi kept quiet. She didn't really like how Umino hated her, Naru idolized her, and Yumiko talked bad about her. None of them even knew her, so why should anyone say those things? She hung back a little, thinking.

Once again, Usagi left school with dread in her stomach. Haruda had passed out the scores from the mock exam, and Usagi stared at her pathetic results in her hand.

_Great_, Usagi thought, _Mom's gonna kill me. Or worse, send me to cram school. Just like..._

With perfect timing, none other than Ami Mizuno cut in front of Usagi as they walked out from school. Usagi had never really seen her up close before. She had short, dark hair and big glasses. She was holding a lot of books, not to mention her book bag as well, and she walked as if she were in a hurry. There was something a little odd about her hair, and when Usagi looked closer, she noticed that it was actually dyed a very dark blue, so that it only appeared black.

_So that's what a genius looks like_, Usagi thought to herself. Conveniently, Ami was going down the same road Usagi had to travel down, so she hung back, watching her. A loud, "Meow," startled the both of them.

Ami looked down at her feet. Luna was rubbing her legs and purring.

"You startled me, little cat," Ami said with a gentle voice. Luna playfully leaped up into Ami's arms and purred even louder.

Usagi just watched, wondering just what Luna was trying to do.

"I live in a condo," Ami told Luna, "So I'm not allowed to have pets. I wish I could keep you though, you're so soft," and she smiled sweetly.

Usagi knew right then and there that Ami wasn't at all like everyone else thought. She figured that now would be the time to get to know this girl, "Hey, Luna!" she called out, and Luna jumped out of Ami's arms and dashed up into Usagi's.

"Sorry about that," she told Ami, "I hope she didn't bother you."

"Oh no, not at all," Ami took off her glasses and she smiled at Usagi, "She was so sweet, like a little angel."

Usagi narrowed her eyes at the cat, "An angel? That's not what I would call her."

Luna glared back at her.

Ami started blushing, and Usagi quickly smiled, not wanting Ami to feel embarrassed, "Your name is Ami Mizuno, from class five, right? I'm Usagi Tsukino, from class one. This cat is Luna."

"Yes, nice to meet you both," she bowed her head.

Usagi suddenly had a thought that made her smile. If she became friends with Ami, then she could teach her everything that will be on every test, and then Usagi will become a super genius. While she was imagining her success, Luna squirmed out of her arms and dashed around a corner.

"Oh! Luna!" Usagi and Ami followed her, and noticed that she went straight into the arcade.

"Hey Mizuno-san, have you been to this arcade before?" when she didn't answer, Usagi said, "Come on, you have to play."

Usagi led Ami right to the Sailor V game, "Try this one, it's really fun but I can't beat this boss," she put a coin in the machine and demonstrated. Ami quietly stood by and watched Usagi play, studying the game-play carefully. As Usagi predicted, the same boss killed Sailor V.

"Your turn Mizuno-san," Usagi gave her seat to Ami, "I'm all out of coins."

Ami quietly sat at the machine, put in her money, and began to play. She played without emotion, perfectly navigating through level after level, even defeating the monster that Usagi could never pass. She quickly started unlocking new levels and built up a huge score. Other people started watching and commentating, including the cute arcade guy. It took only a matter of minutes for Ami to reach the end of the game, and the crowd cheered when she entered her name in for the highest score yet.

"That was amazing, Mizuno-san!" Usagi smiled.

"Awesome," the arcade guy nodded in approval, "I've never seen a girl beat a game so quickly."

The game machine played a little song, and there was a clunk sound near the bottom. Ami looked out and pulled out a blue and gold pen, with a planet design on the cap. She uncapped it and shrugged, "I guess I won a prize."

"What?" Usagi's jaw dropped, "How cool! That's not fair, I want a prize too!" She started shaking and kicking the machine, "If you do this, sometimes something will come out!"

To everyone's surprise, there was another song and a clunk, and Usagi pulled out her own pen, which was pink with a plastic jewel on top.

"Aww, it's so cute," Usagi said as she and Ami compared pens.

"Usagi-chan!" the arcade boy sounded frightened, "Don't ever do that again!"

Ami couldn't stop giggling, "You are quite the interesting character, Tsukino-san."

"Just call me Usagi," she grinned, "And can I call you Ami-chan?"

Ami blushed a little, "Sure. Want to play another..." before she could finish her sentence, she checked the time on the wall clock, "Oh no! Is that really the time? I'm late for cram school!"

"Oh right, Crystal Seminar," Usagi sighed, "Is today your cram school day?"

"Well," Ami gathered her things, "I have cram school every day."

Usagi couldn't believe it, "Every DAY? How do you survive?"

Ami shrugged, "Studying is my strongest point. And I want to be a doctor like my mother someday, so I have to study really hard. See you, Usagi-chan," and she made her way out the door.

"She doesn't think it," Usagi said to Luna, "But Ami-chan is really cool."

Ami put her flash drive into her cram school computer. The studying program loaded instantly, and she began working. She was surrounded by the sound of keyboards clacking, and junior high students occasionally sighing. Ami didn't let the strange silence get to her though, and focused on her task.

Her teacher, a voluptuous young woman, stood next to her desk and spoke in a husky voice, "You're doing so well in this course. I have high hopes for you, Mizuno-san. It's people like you who are going to shape the world of tomorrow. But," she looked around the classroom at all the other students, "Everyone is trying to catch up to you, to get to your level and beat you. So keep studying, so you can get to the next level. Understand?"

Ami sighed, but said with dignity, "Yes, ma'am."

Tired and sweaty from gym, Usagi trudged into the locker room and started to change into her regular uniform.

"You know what sounds good right now?" Naru said beside her, "Fauchon ice cream. Wanna go to the corner shop to get some?"

"Of course!" Usagi said, who was always excited at the prospect of snacks, "How about you, Yumiko-chan?"

"Yeah, sure," her friend smiled, and she turned toward Kuri. Instead of agreeing, she just slammed her locked and walked stiffly away.

Yumiko sighed, "Kuri-chan said she got enrolled in Crystal Seminar yesterday. She hasn't been herself all day."

"Does that place actually work?" Usagi asked.

"Yeah, lots of people from here go there now," Yumiko continued, "They do all their work on computers. All the students are assigned these flash drives that have some kind of study program on it, apparently you get obsessed with it and you can't stop studying. I wonder what kind of program it is?"

"A flash drive?" Usagi wondered aloud, "I wonder if Ami-chan does the same thing?"

She grabbed her uniform and left the locker room, still in her gym shorts.

Usagi found Ami in the computer lab, who seemed to be straining her eyes as she stared at a computer screen, "Hey Ami-chan! Say, are you doing that Crystal Seminar program?"

"Yeah," Ami quickly minimized the screen so Usagi couldn't see, "But it's just so hard to study from sometimes. I would much rather prefer this," she held up her notebook and arcade pen, "I'm old fashioned."

"Hey, that's our pen!" Usagi smiled, and pulled hers out of the pocket of her uniform, "I have mine too. So, my girlfriends are gonna go get ice cream, do you want..."

Usagi was shoved, and she turned around to see who pushed her. Two students walked by, a boy and a girl, not noticing Usagi.

"I need to go to seminar," the boy said in a monotone voice, and the girl replied robotically, "Yes, let's go. Everyone is trying to catch up to you."

Ami stood, the words of her teacher echoing in her mind. She carefully packed her things, "I should get going to Crystal Seminar too. Sorry Usagi-chan, maybe next time."

Usagi watched Ami rush down the hall. She sighed, and was about to go find Naru and Yumiko when she saw something sitting by the computer Ami was using. She went to investigate, and found Ami's flash drive. It had a shiny label on it, reading Crystal Seminar.

"I gotta go get this back to her," Usagi said resolutely, "But first, I need to ditch these stinky gym clothes."

Luna was waiting for Usagi outside of school, and together they set off for Crystal Seminar. Usagi was surprised to see such a huge crowd outside of the cram school. In the center stood a woman wearing a tight dress and passing out flyers, "Sign up now, there's no enrollment fee! Join now to discover your potential!"

Usagi walked up to the lady to ask about Ami, but instead the lady thrust a pamphlet into Usagi's hands and continued her sales pitch. Usagi was shocked; she found Ami, her face was on every flyer.

She stepped aside to read it carefully. Luna sat on Usagi's shoulders to read as well, "Crystal Seminar, featuring the revolutionary Crystal flash drive program. Raise your grades and your IQ. Featured student: Ami Mizuno, one of the most brilliant girls in Japan."

"Raise your grades?" Luna said teasingly, "Maybe you should sign up too, Usagi-chan."

"No way," Usagi crumpled up the paper and tossed it over her shoulder, "I don't want to go to a weird school like this."

"Hey!" said a man's voice from behind her, "Dumpling head! What am I, a trash can?"

Usagi turned around in horror, "Oh my gosh, you're that guy from the other day!"

It certainly was. He was dressed in a different, yet equally fancy, tuxedo and dark sunglasses. He removed them to stare at her closely, "Was it just me, or did I hear that cat talk?"

"Uh, I, uh, um, I..." Usagi stuttered, before running away and yelling, "Of course not! Don't be ridiculous! Bye!"

Once she was gone, he unfolded the flyer and read it carefully. He stood very still, reading the word 'crystal' over and over again.

"He's gone, Usagi-chan," Luna whispered in her ear.

"Oh, good," Usagi stopped running to catch her breath.

Luna checked to make sure they were alone before stating, "As I was going to say before we were interrupted, that flash drive is obviously that thing in the flyer. It's all very suspicious. I think we should check it out."

"Right," Usagi said, "Let's go home and pop it into Dad's computer..."

"No way," Luna said, "We can't risk it. Who knows what's on there? It might be something... something we don't want others to find out about. Let's just go back to the school."

Usagi slumped, "Going to school, _after _school? Luna, you're killing me."

There were still a few students still wandering the hall, but thankfully nobody was in the computer lab. Usagi popped in the flash drive, and all that appeared was a normal practice test. She scrolled through it, "This is it? This is the thing that people were becoming obsessed with?"

Usagi knew just what to do. She started hitting the monitor and kicking the tower, exactly as she had done with the arcade machine.

"Usagi-chan! What are you doing?"

"It worked before!" Usagi insisted, "Maybe there's a secret..."

The screen suddenly blurred, and a dark voice came out of the speakers, "You shall obey. Offer yourself."

"What the heck?" Usagi backed away, staring at the computer in horror.

The blurry program continued, "You will become a slave to our great ruler, and you will gather everything you can find about the Silver Crystal."

"It's the enemy!" Luna cried out, "They're brainwashing students!"

Usagi looked out at the students in the hall. They were all walking slowly, like zombies and were repeating variations of, "Crystal... gotta to go to Crystal... Silver Crystal... must find the Silver Crystal..."

"Luna, what if Ami-chan is brainwashed too?" Usagi said, "We have to go to Crystal Seminar and stop this! But how?"

"We can save Ami-chan," Luna said resolutely, "Just use the pen."

Usagi wasn't sure she heard her talking cat correctly.

"Your pen, Usagi-chan!" Luna insisted, "The one you got at the arcade. You can use it to disguise yourself with moon power. Just wave it in the air and call out 'change'."

"What?" Usagi took her pink pen out of her pocket, "This pen can really do that?"

Half-believing Luna, she tossed the pen in the air and shouted, "Moon Power! Change into a..." she quickly thought of Ami, and called out, "Doctor!"

In a flash of bright light, Usagi's school uniform transformed into a cute nurse's outfit, complete with her own name tags and stethoscope.

"Cool," Usagi examined herself, impressed with the magic of the pen.

"Usagi-chan, there's no rush or anything," Luna said a little frantically.

Usagi nodded, and the two of them ran back toward Crystal Seminar.

She burst through the front doors of the school and quickly told the person at the front desk, "I have an emergency call!" and rushed into the building. Usagi found Ami wandering listlessly through the hallway. She grabbed her friend, noticing her face was very pale.

"Ami-chan," she shook her, but Ami didn't reply, "You've been brainwashed, you have to snap out of it! Oh man, I have to find that lady."

The teacher had been observing her students. She chuckled to herself as she watched their minds become emptier and emptier as they kept working, "I can't believe how well these flash drives absorb energy. Thanks to my flyers advertising that genius girl, soon I will have all of Japan... no, the world, under our control. The Silver Crystal will be ours."

Usagi burst into each classroom, looking for the teacher. When she stumbled into the full class, she cried out, "Everyone! Get away from those computers! They're gonna brainwash you!"

"Who are you?" the teacher cried out angrily.

"Usagi-chan, this is your moment," Luna said. She carried the transformation brooch in her mouth, and plopped it in Usagi's hands, "You have to transform."

"What? I have to do that again?" Usagi complained.

"You can't fight like that, can you?"

Usagi sighed, but cried out, "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

The power washed over her quickly, and soon she found herself in her Sailor Moon outfit. Even her tiara, which was left at the jewelry shop, was back on her forehead. She removed her red goggles and announced, "I won't allow you to brainwash people and use their love of learning against them! I'm the pretty sailor-suited soldier of justice, Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, you're punished!"

The teacher grinned. Her eyes began to glow white, and when she reached out her long arms, papers flew from them. They sailed straight at Usagi, cutting her badly.

"Ouch!" Usagi tried dodging them, but there were too many, "These are as sharp as knives!" She tried running, but there were scratches all over. Blood started dripped down her arms and legs. The pain was so sharp, that tears welled up in her eyes.

"I hate cram school anyway!" she cried out, feeling a loud sob coming on, "And I hate tests even more!"

As she screamed, she heard the usual glass shattering. The windows were breaking all around her. The students all snapped out of their trances, and ran quickly for the exits.

"Stop!" Luna cried out, "Those supersonic waves might hurt one of the students! What about Ami-chan?"

Usagi's tears quickly dried up at the thought of her friend, "That's right! Ami-chan, where..."

She quickly located her friend. She had been grabbed by the evil teacher, and was struggling in her grip.

"Why weren't you properly brainwashed?" the monster yelled at her, "You've been slacking on your studies, haven't you?"

"No, I... ouch!" Ami cried out, "I'm not slacking. I have my own method of studying."

Usagi looked helplessly at Luna, and the cat knew what to do, "Ami-chan! Your pen. Hold your pen in the air!"

The teachers long fingernails morphed into blades, and as she held it up over Ami's head, the pen in Ami's pocket flashed a bright blue light. A symbol started glowing on Ami's forehead, and suddenly the air was covered with a thick mist.

"W-w-where did you go?" the monster cried out, obviously shivering.

"Luna, what's going on?" Usagi cried out, but she couldn't see her cat through the fog. So she started calling out, "Ami-chan? Luna?"

Someone was standing in front of her, and she felt her stomach sink with dread when she realized that the monster had followed her voice. Her blade fingers flexed as she smiled, "Ha ha, I'll cut you into little pieces."

Usagi carefully backed up, and found herself being grabbed from behind by two very strong arms. Somebody was lifting her up.

"Now," came a soft, male voice near her ear, "Kick her now."

Usagi summoned her strength and yelled, "Sailor Moon Kick!" and her boot hit right in the monster's face, flinging her backward.

The mist began to clear up, and Usagi turned to see Tuxedo Kamen, holding her tightly in his arms.

"Be mindful of your enemy," he advised, "She's right in front of you."

Usagi had no words. She was too busy thinking about how she had run into Tuxedo Kamen yet again, and that his face was just inches away from hers.

He carefully set her down on her feet, and adjusted his top hat, "Go rescue your friend, Sailor Moon."

"Right," Usagi said, knowing that Tuxedo Kamen had her back. The monster was recovering from the kick, and Usagi knew that now was the time. She reached for her tiara.

"Moon Tiara Frisbee!" she hurled the round tiara at the monster, and with a loud scream she was sliced in half, and turned into a pile of dust.

"Tuxedo Kamen, did you see..." Usagi turned around, but he was gone. Evidently he had slipped through a broken window. Her heart felt a little heavy, wishing that he was still there so she could actually talk to him.

"Usagi-chan," Luna called out, "Come and see Ami-chan!"

Ami was staring down at her body with an expression that Usagi knew only too well. Ami's uniform had changed into one that was similar to Usagi's: a short blue skirt attached to a white sailor leotard with a blue collar and matching bow on the chest, white gloves, blue boots, and even her own tiara with a blue gem in the middle.

"Ami-chan!" Usagi exclaimed, "Look at you!"

"Just as I suspected," Luna said proudly, "That intellect of yours gave it away. Ami-chan, you're the soldier of water and intelligence, the protector of Mercury, Sailor Mercury! We've been searching for you, our ally sailor soldier."

"Sailor... Mercury?" Ami said cautiously, "A sailor soldier?"

"Ami-chan is my ally?" Usagi said excitedly, "That's awesome!"

Ami looked back and forth from Usagi to Luna, and finally said, "I have a lot of questions."


	4. Act 3: Rei

Act 3- Rei

A still pool of water separated Queen Beryl from Jadeite. He was bowing, his head hung in shame. Her long, dark hair blew in the quiet breeze as she declared, "Jadeite, you have failed me two times in a row. Are you prepared to face the consequences?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," he said with all the strength he could muster, "And I truly apologize."

"Well," came a mocking voice from behind him, "Maybe you shouldn't make your puppets out of dirt, then they might actually accomplish something."

Jadeite looked up at his fellow general, who had long, curling brown hair. The confident general now addressed his queen, "Your Majesty Queen Beryl, give this task to me. I, Nephrite, of the Dark Kingdom's North American division, will gather energy in a more efficient manner for our great ruler. And I promise to capture the Silver Crystal!"

"But," came the voice of another general, who was younger and shorter but had very long, blond hair, "What about these sailor soldiers? What if they're after the Silver Crystal as well?"

"Queen Beryl," said Nephrite, and Jadeite stood, knowing that this was the moment that Nephrite had been telling him about, "Please tell us, just what is the Silver Crystal? If we knew what it was, we would have an easier time finding it."

Queen Beryl stayed silent for a moment, thinking over just how much information she should give to her generals, before answering, "The Legendary Silver Crystal is the source of all the power in the universe. The power it carries is limitless and unfathomable. The one who possesses it will control the entire universe. If anyone else were to get their hands on it, it would be our destruction. Therefore, we must eliminate anyone who opposes us. Jadeite! You will postpone your search of the Silver Crystal, and destroy anyone else looking for it. This is your final chance, understand that."

"I do," he quickly returned to one knee, bowing for his queen, "I will eliminate those eyesores, the sailor soldiers, once and for all!"

The fire in front of her crackled and popped.

"It's coming," she whispered, her hands clasped tightly in prayer, "Something terrible is coming this way. And something unthinkable... something evil will happen."

The young priestess could see nothing else in the flames. She sighed, finished her ritual, and extinguished the fire. She slipped on her wooden sandals and went outside to finish her chores.

Children were playing outside the temple. She smiled at them as she swept the steps, remembering the fun times she had at that very place as a child. A bus came to its stop on the nearby street, and the children ran for it, ready to go home. One of them, a little girl, turned around and waved at the priestess, "Bye bye Rei-chan!"

"Bye Mii-chan," she replied, "Be careful."

Rei watched the children get on the Sendai Hill bus. The usual driver wasn't there, instead it was someone new: A young man with short, blond hair. She watched the doors close and the bus made its way down the road.

"Six o'clock, on the dot," Rei noted, "Time to start dinner."

She turned her back to the bus, so she didn't see it disappear into thin air.

Juuban Junior High, Grade 8, Class 1 was a buzz. Haruda was late, and the students were spending the time chattering away. Of course Kuri had brought her news and gossip magazines, and a group of girls were going through them, "Oh! Have you heard this one? The rumor of the six o'clock Sendai Hill bus! They call it the devil's bus!"

Usagi was using this rare opportunity to take a little nap on her desk. Luna felt lucky to be there; undoubtedly the teacher would show up, see Usagi asleep, and punish her, and it was up to Luna to wake Usagi up in time. Meanwhile, she was listening to the gossip.

Kuri read from her magazine, "They say that if you take the six o'clock bus from Sendai Hill, you will vanish! Poof! Missing! Rumor has it that Death himself drives the bus, and the destination is straight to... well, you know where!" The girls around her gave a little shriek. Luna rolled her eyes.

"Usagi-chan," Luna jumped up in Usagi's lap and tried to wake her. When it didn't work, she climbed on her shoulders. She felt Usagi stir and whispered in her ear, "Wake up, Usagi-chan. You're in school and you need to be alert. After school we are having a strategy meeting with Ami-chan to figure out where to go from here."

Usagi rubbed her eyes, "I have plans for after school today."

"Really? What are they?"

"Going home and taking a nap."

Luna sat on her desk and stared at Usagi, "We're going to meet at the Crown Arcade at five o'clock."

"The arcade!" Usagi sat up in her seat, "Why didn't you say so in the first place? I'm there."

The door to the classroom slid open, and Haruda entered, "Sorry I'm late, class. Let's begin first period. We..." her eyes fell on Luna, who didn't jump under the desk fast enough, "Who brought a _cat _to class?"

Usagi stood, "Sorry! She's my cat, but she's leaving right now and..."

"Tsukino-san!" Haruda glared at her, "There _will _be a consequence for this."

"Wow, Usagi-chan," the arcade guy smiled, "You've gotten really good at the Sailor V game!"

"Yeah, Ami-chan showed me how to play it," Usagi said as she kept her eyes on the screen, "She went on about mathematical formulas and equations, but really it's all about timing. Look!" She pointed at her high score as she advanced to another level.

"This game seriously never ends," the arcade guy said, "Even more levels unlocked after Ami-chan first played. It's intense."

Ami and Luna were standing in a corner, prepared for their meeting. Ami couldn't wait any longer. She looked down at her hands, "I still can't believe that I'm a sailor soldier, Luna. And I have these strange, new powers."

"It feels strange because you've just awakened," Luna explained, "In time it will all feel natural."

"So Luna," Ami said, "Who are the enemy, anyway? What do they want? And what are they going to do next?"

"It all comes back to the Legendary Silver Crystal," Luna said solemnly, "That's what they want. We have to find and protect our princess and her Silver Crystal."

"Silver Crystal?" Ami said, "But..." she was interrupted by Usagi.

"All right! I cleared two levels at once! I rock!" she gasped as the machine emitted the prize song, and out popped two small watches. One was pink and one was blue.

"Look look! Ami-chan! We both get watches!" Usagi rushed over to her friend and gave her the blue watch."

"Amazing," Luna inspected them closer, "I bet I can modify these and make them into communicators!"

"Um, Luna?" Ami asked, "Did you do something with the game machine, or...?"

Luna just winked.

"Ami-chan, didn't you say you had English cram school today?" Usagi looked up at the clock.

"That's right!" Ami said, "I should get going, I don't want to miss my bus."

Usagi and Luna followed Ami out of the arcade, "But Ami-chan, Luna is boring without..." Usagi changed her sentence when she noticed Luna's glare, "I mean, the _arcade _is boring without you!"

"You can come along too if you want," Ami shrugged, "Oh, come on the bus with me. You have to see this pretty girl that rides on my route. I think she's a priestess."

When the bus pulled up at the stop, Usagi stared uncomfortably at the sign, "Sendai Hill? I think I heard something about that bus, but I'm not sure..."

"You should be careful!" came a squeaky voice, and Umino once again appeared out of nowhere, ready to share his knowledge, "This bus is on the same route as the six o'clock devil bus! I wouldn't go on it if I were you! It's not just a rumor, people really have disappeared!"

"Wouldn't this bus be empty if it were true?" Usagi asked skeptically as she followed Ami aboard, "Plus, I'm with Ami-chan, so I'll be safe."

Usagi tucked Luna under her arm, and she shared a rail to hold onto with Ami, "So where is she?"

"There," Ami whispered, "That girl in the St. Joan's Girls School uniform."

Usagi agreed, this girl was drop dead gorgeous. She was wearing that girls uniform that Usagi envied, a black and gray outfit with a much shorter skirt than her own. And this girls raven black hair flowed beyond her waist, and every feature on her face was stunning. Usagi couldn't keep her eyes off of her. She barely heard Ami say, "This is my stop, see you later!" and didn't hear the driver announce, "Next stop, Sendai Hill, Hikawa Shrine."

The girl got off at the next stop and Usagi, mesmerized, followed her. Luna chased after her, whispering as loudly as she could, "Usagi-chan, what are you doing? Why are you following that girl?"

Usagi snapped out of it long enough to pick up Luna and talk to her, "Because she's so pretty! And besides, I have all day to..." Usagi looked around, "I lost her! Thanks Luna."

"Well, didn't Ami-chan say she might be a priestess? Maybe she went into that shrine," Luna nodded toward a large Shinto shrine that was nearby.

Usagi and Luna climbed the steps that led to the temple. At the top of the gate sat two crows, and when Usagi passed under it, they swooped down, cawing and flying around her. Usagi screamed, and tried to run away.

Rei had just changed out of her school uniform and into her shrine maiden fuku when she felt her heart start to beat faster and faster. That feeling of dread she felt at the fire yesterday returned.

"It's here," she said out loud. She rushed out of the room, making sure her banishing scrolls were in her pocket. Once outside, she saw her crows attacking a school girl. Rei raced toward her, yelling, "Evil spirit, I will not let you enter this holy shrine!" When she was close enough, she took out a banishing scroll and thrust it on the girl's forehead, yelling the spell, "_Akuryo taisan!_"

Usagi froze when she felt the scroll hit her forehead. The crows flew away, and Usagi just fell to the ground in surprise.

Rei expected something else to happen. But it didn't. No demon slithered from the girl's body, no dark cloud passed by, nothing at all.

"Oh, um," Rei pushed her long hair over her shoulders, feeling awkward, "Sorry about that. I thought you were some kind of evil demon, but you're just... a girl. What's your name? Here," Rei reached out her hand and helped Usagi up, taking the scroll off in the process.

"I'm Usagi Tsukino," she answered warily.

"Usagi-san," Rei bowed, "Again, I apologize. My crows don't normally attack regular people," on cue, the two crows flew down to her side. Rei smiled, "They're called Phobos and Deimos, they guard the temple."

_Dong! _A temple bell rang. Rei and Usagi turned to look, and noticed a woman with her family, saying a prayer. Rei gasped, "Oh, that's..." and she quickly bowed again to Usagi, "Excuse me."

Rei rushed over to the woman, and Usagi once again followed her, curious.

The woman clapped her hands together and bowed at the shrine, "I pray for the return of my daughter Mii. I wish for her to come home safely."

"Excuse me," Rei interrupted her, "Did something happen to Mii-chan? I haven't seen her around."

"Oh, Rei-chan," she stood, her face stained with tears, "Haven't you heard? Mii-chan has... gone missing. She was supposed to ride the bus home, but she never came home one day. I've heard rumors about some devil bus that leaves here, but... who knows what happens in this dangerous neighborhood nowadays, right? She was most likely kidnapped. I'm so worried... oh but Rei-chan, I didn't mean to say that your family's shrine was dangerous."

Rei's expression was blank. She didn't say a word.

The woman bowed, "I should leave," and she whispered loudly to her husband, "What is with her? Her expression didn't change once for that entire conversation!"

"Her whole family is odd," her husband reassured her, "Her grandfather runs his temple, and he's a nutcase. And I heard that everyone in her family has secret powers, a sixth sense, and they do these strange rituals..."

Rei, Usagi and Luna could easily hear them. Rei just looked down at her feet. Usagi and Luna shared a glance, thinking the same thing. This is a girl with powers, sixth sense, and she was a priestess. Usagi looked at Rei again, wondering if this could be the princess that Luna was always going on about.

"I can explain," Rei said in a quiet voice, and she looked at Usagi with a cool expression, "You see, five roads meet at the top of Sendai Hill. It's a huge intersection. There is a legend, from the old days, that there was a phantom sixth road. People whisper around here that the six o'clock Sendai Hill bus goes down that sixth road. You know what they call it?"

Usagi shook her head, feeling the gravity of the situation.

"Spirited away," Rei said solemnly, "It's called being spirited away. Have a nice day, Usagi-san."

Rei walked away, leaving Usagi and Luna riveted on the spot.

"That's your plan?" Nephrite laughed, "Pathetic! You're going easy on them!"

"It's going to draw them here," Jadeite defended, "It will bring them right to our doorstep. Especially if we take more hostages," he looked at the people, mostly female children, which he had abducted. They were all in suspended reality, asleep, unaware that anything unusual was happening to them, "If we leave them this way, Nephrite, we can offer them as they are to our great ruler, to ensure we get the maximum amount of energy from them. And we can throw in a few of those sailor soldier's heads as well!"

The next morning, everyone in Usagi's class was discussing the devil bus.

"I saw it on the news! A seventh grade girl has been missing for four days. The last place she was seen was getting on a bus!"

"I heard that nearly ten girls from Ichinohashi Junior High have gone missing!"

"Yeah, and they all disappeared from Sendai Hill! It really is the devil's bus!"

Haruda entered the classroom, "Quiet, everyone! Due to recent disappearances of many young people, we are going to discuss safety, and how to protect yourself if someone tries to abduct you."

Usagi had stayed silent all morning, even when Umino presented his long list of conspiracy theories. All she could think about what that priestess saying, "Spirited away." She tried not to think about it until after school, when she met up with Luna at the school gate.

"Why don't we go to Sendai Hill again, Usagi-chan?" Luna suggested, "We should talk to that girl, Rei-chan. Maybe she knows something about the enemy. There's something about her; Rei-chan may possibly be an ally."

"Or," Usagi sighed, "She could even _be _the enemy."

"I like your thinking," Luna nodded, "Sounds like your instincts are finally starting to kick in. Oh look, the bus is here."

Usagi froze, "The bus? Really? I'm scared!"

Luna just glared at her.

She chose a seat in the very back, and plopped Luna on her lap, "Seriously, if anything happens to us, it's all your fault."

"Relax," Luna sighed, "It's only five o'clock. And your communicator should be working now, so you can contact Ami-chan whenev..." Luna suddenly stopped talking, and instead started meowing frantically.

"Luna?" Usagi sighed, "Honestly, you are most frustrating cat in the world. Use your words. What are you trying to say?"

"Yeah Luna," came a masculine voice next to her, "Go ahead and say it."

Usagi practically felt her heart stop. She pointed and screamed at the man she kept running into on the street, "Ahh! Again! It's yo-oou," her voice trailed off when she noticed what he was wearing today. It was a very formal boys school uniform, complete with blazer and tie. Instead of his dark sunglasses, he was wearing ordinary prescription glasses. Now that she was seeing him for the first time in casual clothes, she noticed just how handsome he was.

"Yes, me," he sighed, "You don't have to scream, dumpling head, we seem to run into each other a lot."

"What are you doing here?" Usagi spoke so fast that it was practically one word.

"I commute to my school by bus," he shrugged.

"So you _do _go to school," she noted, "That explains the uniform."

He took out his school ID card, "Proof, I am a legitimate student."

Usagi read the card carefully, "Mamoru Chiba, Moto Azabu High School, Grade 11. Oh, okay."

He put it away, and the bus traveled on. They sat awkwardly in complete silence.

"Sooo," Usagi tried to act casual, "Have you heard of that six o'clock devil bus?"

"Yeah, of course," he said, taking off his glasses to clean them with his blazer, "It's on this line, right? There's that and tons of other strange things happening these days."

Usagi could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Something wasn't quite right. This was the first time she could see this guy's, Mamoru Chiba's, eyes. They were the exact shade of blue as Tuxedo Kamen's. He must have noticed something was amiss, so he looked at her. She gasped, as he looked exactly like her masked protector. He seemed to be looking at her oddly as well.

"Soldier," he mumbled.

"What!" Usagi shrieked, and Mamoru blushed and looked away, "Nothing, it's nothing."

Thankfully the conductor finally called out, "Next stop, Sendai Hill, Hikawa Shrine," and Usagi quickly got up to leave. She watched the bus leave the stop, staring at Mamoru Chiba's head through the back window. He didn't turn around to look at her.

Usagi stammered, "He-he-he, he is weird. Like seriously."

"Yeah, he was sharp," Luna said, "Let's go."

Usagi and Luna turned to walk toward the shrine, which was the moment Mamoru chose to turn around for one last glimpse of her.

Rei was talking with Mii's mother again, and many other women her age, so Usagi and Luna held back. But they could hear the woman pleading, "I have to ask again, Rei-chan. Please use your sixth sense powers to locate our daughters. That's all we want."

The other mothers were whispering among themselves, "Is she legit?", "She's a shrine maiden, after all.", "How do we know she's not faking her powers?"

Rei cleared her throat, "The thing is, my sixth sense doesn't work that way. It happens randomly, and I never know what I'm going to see or feel. I can't use it to locate a certain person. I'm sorry, you should be asking the police for help, not me."

Mii's mother's expression changed. She was angry, "Can't you be a sweet girl for one minute? We came all the way to see you, and you can't even try to be courteous? Where's your grandfather anyway? Making strange prayers? How do we know you're not the one that made Mii-chan disappear?"

"GO!" Rei screamed, her calm expression breaking, "Go home, all of you," she turned on her heel and walked away. She stopped just for one moment to look at Usagi and Luna. Usagi gasped at the tears collecting in Rei's beautiful eyes. She wanted to go comfort her, but Rei continued into the shrine.

"Poor Rei-chan, none of this is her fault," Usagi said sadly.

"What is the enemy trying to do?" Luna asked, "I'm sure they're looking for the Silver Crystal, but I don't understand their intentions here."

"Wait, the enemy wants the Silver Crystal thing too?"

"That's right," Luna nodded, "Whatever we do, we cannot let the enemy get their hands on it."

There were two people following Usagi's every move. One of them was Rei. She built her fire, sat in front of it, and began to pray. Instantly she saw an image of Usagi in the flames. Startled, she continued to concentrate. Usagi was clearly in danger in this image. There was a man attacking her, a man with light blond hair. He was going to hurt her, very badly. He grabbed Usagi's neck and she was screaming for her life. There was no time to put out the fire, Rei ran as fast as she could toward where she last saw Usagi.

The other person was Tuxedo Kamen. The sun had set just enough for him to blend into the shadows around the shrine. He kept an eye on her, listening to Luna explain about the Silver Crystal, and hanging on every word as if his life depended on it. He could hear someone running nearby, someone with wooden sandals on. He grimaced, not wanting to miss anything that Luna might say about the Silver Crystal, but she seemed to have dropped the subject. So he turned, and saw the shrine maiden looking around frantically for someone. She ran to the road, looking both ways as if the person she needed had already crossed the street. Then she stiffened, and the bus pulled up. The driver was a man with light blond hair and a handsome smile.

Rei froze, silently panicking at seeing the man from her vision. The bus doors opened, and she felt her legs walk into the bus. Even though his mouth didn't move, she could hear the bus driver speak to her in her mind, _Come, get on this bus. It will take you right to our castle, by way of the alternate dimension connecting this place to mine. _Then everything went black.

Tuxedo Kamen watched anxiously, knowing there was nothing he could do, knowing that the person this girl needed was not him, but Sailor Moon. He whistled loudly, drawing Usagi's attention toward his direction, and the bus.

Usagi's head turned at the sound, curious. Then she saw the bus, "Hey Luna, isn't it six o'clock? That bus..."

"Usagi-chan," Luna sounded scared, "look at the sign."

Instead of reading 'Sendai Hill' it was blank and blinking. But Usagi felt terrified when she saw the only passenger.

"It's Rei-chan!" Usagi screamed. The priestess was asleep on a seat, leaning her head against a window. Usagi and Luna started chasing after it. The bus appeared to be driving straight into a wall, and Usagi screamed. Before the bus could collide with the wall, a black hole opened up, swallowing the bus.

"Luna!" Usagi was in a panic, "That's it! That's the bus! We have to go help Rei-chan!" She could feel her pen poking her in her pocket, and since nobody else was around she twirled it in the air, "Moon Power! Change into a stewardess!"

In a flash, Usagi's clothes turned into a red and blue flight attendant uniform, complete with hat and high heels. They clicked on the pavement as she reached to catch the end of the bus.

"Um, Usagi-chan?" Luna asked as she ran beside her, "Why a stewardess?"

"Because it's my job to ensure the safety and quality of travel for the passengers!" she screamed as she lunged for the end of the bus. She managed to get her arm through an open window, and she held on for dear life. The rear wheels started to lift off the ground to fly into the hole. Luna leaped and tried to grab onto Usagi's leg, but her feet were kicking so wildly that Luna flew off.

"Luna!" Usagi cried out, but the small cat landed right into the arms of Tuxedo Kamen. Speechless, she reached out her hand toward the both of them. He extended his arm toward hers, and cried out, "Sailor..."

It was then that the bus fully entered the portal, and Usagi was surrounded by a cold darkness.

_I'm all alone_, Usagi thought to herself, _I don't have Luna to guide me or Tuxedo Kamen to protect me. What do I do?_

Tuxedo Kamen still had his hand out, reaching for a girl that was no longer there. He was in a daze, fascinated with the girl that transformed before his very eyes.

Luna squirmed out of his grip, and she raced down the street, without a word. Tuxedo Kamen smiled and adjusted his hat. Of course, that girl needed Luna right now. He wouldn't be any help to her tonight.

Whoever she was.

Ami was packing away her cram school books after her study session when her communicator began to beep. She rushed out of her school building to find Luna hiding behind a corner.

"Luna? What's going... is that a laptop?"

"Ami-chan, there's no time," Luna seemed as if she was trying to keep from freaking out, "Usagi-chan is on the devil bus, and it warped into another dimension. This device will track her communicator."

"Right," Ami picked up the computer. It was some form of technology she had never seen before, but she knew instantly how everything would work. A white dot was blinking on the screen, "That must be Usagi-chan. It looks like the computer is trying to pick up her coordinates. The signal is moving down! It's going.. really down," Ami froze as the white blinking dot moved so far down that it went off the screen, blinked in mid-air, and traveled down into the ground.

"Luna?" Usagi's voice suddenly came through the computer, along with lots of static, "Come in, Luna!"

"Usagi-chan," Ami spoke to the laptop, "It's me, where are you now?"

"Ami-chan!" Usagi sounded relieved to hear her friend's voice, "We went through this hole, and it was really dark and freezing, and then we stopped at this huge stone castle. I let go of the bus and it disappeared. Is Luna there? Luna, tell me what to do!" her voice sounded tearful.

"Usagi-chan," Luna spoke, "whatever you do, keep calm and don't cry. Be brave! You have to transform and save Rei-chan and everyone else who was kidnapped."

"Right," she said, sounding much more confident.

Luna looked up at Ami, "With this device, I might be able to transport you to where Usagi-chan is. But you have to use your transformation powers. I have the coordinates," Luna tapped a few keys on the keyboard with her paw, "And you will need to transform quickly. Oh, and you might need this," Luna nodded to her side, and Ami noticed a red and gold pen sitting on the ground, identical to her own.

"Luna?" Ami asked, confused, "What's this?"

"You need to transform right... now!"

Without hesitation, Ami grabbed her own pen and twirled it in the air, yelling, "Mercury Power!..." she could have sworn she also heard Usagi's voice at the same time, calling out, "Moon Prism Power!" and at the same time the two girls cried out, "Make Up!"

Jadeite examined his newest victim. She was beautiful, and he knelt down and gently touched her face as she slept, "She's something, this girl. She reminds me of something... someone, long ago, maybe someone I used to love..."

There was a bright flash of light, and Jadeite jumped up to his feet. Two of the sailor soldiers appeared before him.

"Well well well, if it isn't Sailor Moon," he nodded at her.

"Be careful," Ami warned her friend.

"Come at me!" Jadeite called out as he grabbed Rei off the floor. She woke up instantly and screamed.

"Let go of Rei-chan!" Sailor Moon declared, "I can't allow you kidnap people and keep them in a scary place like this! I am Sailor Moon, and on behalf of the moon, I will punish you!"

Rei stopped squirming for a second, recognizing that girl's voice.

Sailor Mercury held out her hands and started her attack, "Mercury Aqua Mist!" and instantly the room was full of thick fog, "Now," she called out to her teammate, "Go and get Rei-chan while the fog lasts!"

The girls heard Jadeite laugh, "In your dreams," and the mist very suddenly vanished. The vapor turned into tiny ice cubes and fell at the sailor soldier's feet. Jadeite continued to laugh and hold Rei close to him, using her as a shield, "Give it up, ladies. You can't defeat me. I'm far more powerful that you both combined."

"Oh no," Usagi whimpered, "What if he's right? Oh, Luna..."

"Usagi-chan!" she faintly heard Luna's voice coming through her communicator, "Hold it together! If you cry any supersonic waves, the dimension you are in could collapse, and it could kill everyone! Be strong and use your tiara."

"Oh," Usagi pulled the tiara off her head, "Right. I keep forgetting this reappears. Moon Tiara Frisbee!"

She hurled the tiara with all her might toward Jadeite. He sneered, threw Rei to the ground, and caught it with one hand, "What is this? A joke?"

Luna's voice rang out, "He fell for the trap!" Usagi could hear the sounds of paws on a keyboard, and suddenly her tiara grew and surrounded her enemy, pinning his arms to his side. A look of horror suddenly appeared on his face. He blinked his eyes for a second or two, and when they opened they emitted a sparkling glow. Usagi and Ami very suddenly felt themselves being pushed back by a strong force, and they landed hard against a wall. Rei quickly scrambled to her feet, trying to think quickly of a way to help.

"Mercury!" Ami could hear Luna through her communicator, "Use the pen I gave you!"

With all her might, Ami threw the red pen, and as it sailed through the air, Rei seemed to go into a trance. A symbol appeared on her forehead, and a bright red glow surrounded her. Usagi and Ami stood up, watching with their mouths wide open. Jadeite didn't move a muscle. There was the sound of crows cawing, and the red glow disappeared. Flanked by Phobos and Deimos was Rei in her very own sailor outfit, with a red skirt and sailor collar, dark purple bow, and red high heels instead of boots. And her eyes were full of anger.

"Get him," she ordered the crows, and they immediately flew at Jadeite, pecking at his eyes so he could keep them closed. Rei held up her hand, and a flaming scroll appeared in her fist.

"_Akuryo taisan!_" she shrieked, and the banishing scroll caught even more on fire as it flew toward Jadeite. The moment it landed on his forehead he was covered in flames. With a high scream, his skin melted off and he shriveled up. The whole castle began to shake.

"Girls!" came Luna's voice, "You have to get out of there now, the flames are making everything unstable. Gather everyone together!"

The three girls ran to the corner where everyone was asleep. The stones in Ami and Rei's tiara's lit up, and the light created a bubble around everyone. Just as the ceiling began to collapse, the bubble of energy vanished, and they were suddenly back at the shrine. Phobos and Deimos were cawing happily in a tree, as if nothing had happened.

The sleeping victims finally awoke, confused and groggy, "What's going on? Why are we here?"

"Sendai Hill?" an unharmed Mii said, "But I thought I took the bus home!"

Usagi and Ami watched the happy scene from a distance, but Rei seemed shaken and startled, "Okay, what happened? What am I wearing? What is going on here?"

A breathless Luna raced up to them, "Well done, soldiers! And splendid job Rei-chan, you saved everyone!"

Rei was petrified, "You talk."

"Yes," Luna nodded, "And you are the soldier of flame and passion, the protector of Mars, Sailor Mars! You are a chosen warrior."

"Warrior, soldier," Rei was trying to grasp the concept. She looked at the others for help.

"We are allies, Rei-chan," Usagi said, removing her goggles.

Ami nodded, "We've been looking for our fellow soldiers, and here you are!"

Luna winked, "We are lucky to have found you, Sailor Mars."

"Sailor Mars?" Rei looked down at her hands, "This explains everything. All my powers that I was born with happened because... I'm Sailor Mars."

Nephrite did everything he could do to keep from smashing his crystal ball. He furiously watched the three soldiers hugging, happy to be united.

"Damn them!" he cried out, "They killed Jadeite! They are powerful enough to defeat one of us! I will have to destroy them with everything I have! For Jadeite!"


	5. Act 4: Masquerade

Act 4: Masquerade

It had been a long night for Luna at her secret computer in the arcade. She had searched every possible file that existed for Usagi Tsukino, Ami Mizuno, and Rei Hino, and knew everything about them from their birthdays to their blood types. But when she did a search for Mamoru Chiba, there was nothing. It was as if this person didn't actually exist.

"Who is he?" Luna asked out loud, since she was alone, "There has got to be something. Oh, but I have to hurry, it's almost time for Usagi-chan to get ready for school!"

When Ikuko opened her morning newspaper, she sighed, "Not the same headline again. Sailor Soldier To The Rescue! Sendai Hill Mystery Solved By Sailor..." Ikuko made sure she had it right, "Moon? Sailor Moon? Not Sailor V? What's going on? What kind of parents allow their daughters to wander around the city at night in short skirts and fight crime?"

Usagi marched down the stairs and pointed at her mother, "You!"

Ikuko blinked.

"You didn't wake me up again! And now I'm late! This is the worst, Mom."

"Well," Ikuko looked at the clock, "It's 8:25, you had better start running, I can't help you there."

Usagi's face flooded with worry, "Oh no! Where's my lunch? Where's my books? Oh, forget about the books, lunch is more important anyway. And I'm hungry for breakfast..."

"Usagi!" Ikuko yelled, "Hurry!"

With blond hair flying behind her, Usagi and Luna dashed out of the house, "Run! Run like the wind, Luna!"

While Usagi scrambled to school, she noticed that something wasn't quite right about the streets of Tokyo. It seemed busier, more frantic. It wasn't until she got to school that she realized what it was.

"Morning, Usagi-chan!" Naru greeted when she raced inside the classroom, "You just made it! Did you get held up by all the police outside?"

"That's it!" Usagi smiled, "I noticed something was different. There were tons of police out there. What's going on?"

Kuri arrived with the newspaper, "Look, it's so exciting!"

Usagi gulped at the headline, "Um, the Sailor Moon thing? Are they, um, looking for her?"

"Oh, not that," Kuri flipped to the next page, "A faraway princess is visiting Tokyo today!"

Naru sighed as she started to explain, "From the kingdom of Deeland, the world's biggest producer of diamonds, Princess Dee will present her family's most prized possession at the Deeland Embassy at Sendai Hill. There's gonna be a huge dinner and a masquerade ball!"

"Wow, exciting!" Usagi smiled, "It sounds so magical! I can't believe that a real princess will be here!"

"I know," Naru said wistfully, "this mysterious treasure has been handed down generation to generation. Nobody has ever seen it except for her close family. And tonight she is going to reveal it! The legendary jewel of jewels! It must be magnificent!"

"Hey, Usagi-chan," Yumiko giggled, "I think your cat is trying to read the paper too."

And indeed she was. Luna was analyzing every line of the article, looking for any clues. Usagi had the feeling that she was about to embark on another mission.

"Usagi-chan!" Ami said when she saw her friend enter the Crown Arcade, "You made it!"

"You're late," Rei grumbled, her arms crossed.

"Yeah, about that," Usagi tried her best to look innocent, but Luna answered for her, "She failed another test and had detention. Ami-chan, please help Usagi-chan study!"

Rei checked her watch, "Do you know how busy I am? I have a full load of schoolwork, plus my chores around the shrine. I don't have time to be a sailor soldier! So let's get to business. Luna!" she put her hands on her hips, "I know we're looking for a princess, but what exactly is she a princess of? What's her name? And also, where exactly do you come from? It's not like you see talking cats wandering around Tokyo all the time. I need some answers, or else I'm not going to cooperate."

Luna sighed, and the three girls sat in their usual corner of the arcade. The cat looked up to them to explain sadly, "I can't tell you. And besides, even if I could, none of you would believe me."

There was a silence. Usagi shrugged, and got up to go play the Sailor V game. Ami and Rei looked at each other, and Ami spoke up, "But, come on Luna, we need to have some information. About anything. Our enemies, the Silver Crystal..."

"Honestly," Luna said, looking a little sad, "I don't know much about the enemy. All I know is that they are here, in Tokyo, and that's about it."

"And that our job is to defeat the enemy," said Ami, "Right? That's why we became soldiers in the first place."

"No!" Luna said a little forcefully, making the two of them jump, "You became soldiers to protect the princess. Once you find her, that will become your priority. But we can't find her because... well, she was sealed away somehow. Nobody will know who she is, or recognize her. She may not even know she's the princess."

"Wait," said Ami, "What do you mean, sealed away?"

"Why did she have to be hidden?" Rei asked.

"Because it's likely that the princess has the Silver Crystal," Luna answered, "Nearly everyone who knows about it wants their hands on that stone. It's the most powerful object in the universe. If it's ever used for evil, then everything, on this planet and beyond, is doomed."

Luna looked over at Usagi, to see if she was paying any attention. But she was too busy pushing buttons and focusing on the game. Luna cleared her throat, and Usagi called out, "Doomed, got it. Keep going."

"Your powers haven't fully developed yet," Luna continued, "Only when you have gathered all of the soldiers will your true powers awaken, and the seal on the princess will break, and you will understand everything, hopefully. And that's all I can really say for now."

"Awaken?" Rei asked, now fully invested in her mission, "But how..."

"Your memories," replied Luna, "You will have to remember how to remember. Especially you, Usagi-chan, because you were the first to receive your power."

Usagi was completely involved in the game, blocking out Luna, but the cat continued anyway, "Since you were first, you should be the leader, but instead you are more interested in video games and pigging out."

Usagi didn't hear.

"Usagi-chan!" Luna hopped up on the game and tried to block the screen, "This is an extremely important discussion!"

"In a minute, Luna," Usagi said grumpily.

"And you need to be more mature!"

"I'm plenty mature," Usagi smiled, "Watch this. Luna, _please _shut up, thank you."

The arcade guy walked through the front doors, tying on his apron as he went, "Man, all those cops out there made me late for work. Hey Usagi-chan!" he came over and gave her an affectionate pat on the head, whispering, "Thanks for bringing your pretty friends again!"

Usagi blushed, but replied with, "All those police are for Princess Dee. She's at the Deeland Embassy."

"Cool, a princess," he sighed, "I wonder if she's blond and glamorous. And single."

"What's that?" Umino rushed through the doors of the arcade, "Are you talking about Princess Dee? I have the inside scoop!"

Usagi looked perplexed, "How did you know we were talking about her, when you were out there and we were..."

"I have an exclusive photo of her," Umino said as he unrolled a poster to reveal a teenage girl with a pixie cut and huge glasses. She didn't look anything special.

"Hey Umino-san," Ami smiled, "You're wearing the same glasses as her!"

"She has good taste," he smiled as he rolled up his photo and left them in peace.

"I really want to go!" Usagi sighed, "She's gonna be wearing a beautiful dress, and display her beautiful treasure! It sounds like a fairy tale!"

"Then let's go," Luna said once the coast was clear, "I think we need to investigate her. Let's meet later at the embassy."

"I dunno," Rei said in a very misty voice, "I have a really bad feeling about that. There's going to be... something bad happening."

"Deeland? Never heard of it," Nephrite grumbled into his crystal ball, "But if there's a princess with a legendary treasure, then I must interfere."

Nephrite wandered through the dark halls of the castle, thinking of a plan. He wound up in the room where Jadeite's body was being kept in a glass case. He gently laid his hand on the clear casket. The skeleton of his friend stared blankly up at him.

"Jadeite," he said quietly, "With the power of the Silver Crystal, I can bring you back to life. I will find it as soon as I can, for you."

"Good, Nephrite," came the silky voice of Queen Beryl. She slinked out of the shadows, her hair billowing behind her hourglass figure in her dark purple gown, "With the power of the crystal we can revive Jadeite, as well as our great ruler. And the Dark Kingdom will rule the entire planet. Now go, and find me that crystal!"

Nephrite nodded, "Yes, my queen," and he left to stage his attack from his crystal ball.

Queen Beryl cupped her hands together, pretending she was holding the Legendary Crystal, "I cannot wait to own it. What does it look like? What will its power feel like? But..."

She let out a scream that echoed through the entire castle, "WHERE IS IT?"

"I'm here!" Usagi announced as she entered her home, "Oh hey Dad, you're home early. And you look good!"

Kenji Tsukino was dressed in his fanciest suit, "Hey Miss Bunny, how do I look?"

"Great! Where are you going?"

"The Deeland Embassy," he couldn't hide his grin, "I got a press pass for the magazine."

"What?" Usagi was shocked, "You got an invitation? Take me with you!"

"I only got one," he kissed her forehead, "It will be on the news later anyway. I had better get going, I don't want to miss anything. Have a good night!"

Usagi followed her father to the garage and waved slowly as his car pulled out. The minute the door was closed, Usagi flashed a devilish grin at Luna.

"What's that for?" Luna asked, a little worried.

"We also need to go to the ball, for work," she kept smiling.

"Yes," said Luna, "Remember, we are meeting the girls and we will find a way in, and..."

"Moon Power!" Usagi couldn't wait. She tossed her pen in the air and yelled, "Transform into a princess!"

Flash! And just like that, Usagi was wearing the most beautiful gown she had ever seen. It was strapless, long and white, with red roses and pearls adorning the sleeves and chest. She had silk gloves, sparkling shoes and, she reached to feel it on top of her head, a gold tiara. She was truly a princess.

"Hi Rei-chan," Ami smiled, "You look... nice."

Rei was in a plain black dress with long sleeves, "I only have dresses to wear for church. And the nuns at school have very strict dress codes. Where did you get that number?"

"Oh, this?" Ami had a frilly periwinkle ball gown, "I wore it to a charity ball for my Mom's hospital a few months ago."

"I wonder what Usagi-chan will wear," Rei smirked, "Probably some pink and loud and..."

A limousine pulled up at the embassy, and Rei's jaw dropped when she saw Usagi and Luna emerge in full style.

"Usagi-chan," Ami said, flabbergasted, "How did you..."

Usagi looked up at the full moon, "Moon power," she grinned, "Now come Lady Ami-chan, Lady Rei-chan. We have a ball to attend."

Usagi kept her head held high as she passed the guards, looking like she went to embassy balls every day, and they believed her confidence and didn't check for an invitation. Ami and Rei gave each other a quiet high five.

Once they entered the ball room, Usagi was the one to be surprised, "Why is everyone wearing a mask?"

"It's a masquerade," Rei said as she took her own mask from her purse, "Don't you know what a masquerade is?"

"Oh," Usagi nodded wisely, "I get it now."

"It's going to be hard to identify anyone," Luna said from Usagi's feet.

"Then let's get to work," Ami strapped on her own mask, "We should find Princess Dee."

"Right," said Rei, "Usagi-chan, you..."

"Look!" Usagi dashed further into the ballroom, "Crystal chandeliers! Look at the cute hors d'oeuvres! And sparkling drinks! I feel like I'm in one of those old Jane Austen movies!"

Luna looked at Ami and Rei, "Right, we can get to work, and Usagi-chan will play. As usual."

Usagi was floating around the room as if she were in a dream, admiring the glamorous clothes and the beautiful ballroom. She secretly wished that someone would at least ask her to dance, and felt thrilled when someone said, "Excuse me, may I take your picture?"

"Why, of course you..." she froze. It was her father, with his work camera, "Yes, go ahead Da... I mean, kind sir."

She posed as gracefully as she could while he took a few snapshots, "You know," he said once he was done, "You remind me a lot of my daughter."

"I... I do?" Usagi stammered.

"Yes, it must be the hair," he nodded at her trademark pig-tailed buns, "I bet when she grows up, she will look just as beautiful as you."

"Why, how kind of you," she smiled and batted her eyes. When he left, she couldn't believe her luck. She was so excited that she did a twirl in her gown, and in the process bumped into someone holding a glass of wine, which spilled a little on her dress.

"Oh no!" Usagi cried out and she quickly ran out to find a bathroom to clean the small stain off. Frantically she reached into her pocket, which contained her brooch, transformation pen, a lipstick and her best handkerchief, in which she used to dab off the wine as best as she could. The dress was saved, but it looked at if her embroidered handkerchief was done for.

"Oh well," she sighed, and left it on a table so she could rejoin the ball. It sat there for a moment, until a man wearing a tuxedo and a white mask picked it up to examine it. He read it carefully, "Grade 8, Class 1. Usagi Tsukino."

Usagi sighed as she leaned up against a wall, watching the beautiful women in ballgowns and men in tuxedos dance together. Of course, none of those men compared to one man she saw regularly in a tuxedo. If he were there, it would be a whole different ballgame. But she didn't have anyone, even Ami and Rei had abandoned her. She thought to herself, _Here I am, in this fabulous ball all alone. Who knew that I would finally become a princess, and I would just be alone and bored?_

A hand slipped into hers, and someone spun her around. Once she finished her twirl, she was face to face with a very handsome man in a tuxedo and a white mask, "Beautiful princess, would you dance with me?"

Usagi couldn't believe her luck. All she could do was nod, and Tuxedo Kamen led her to the dance floor. She had no idea how to waltz, but Tuxedo Kamen led in such a way that she appeared to have danced her entire life. They sailed gracefully across the room. Usagi felt as if she were dreaming, living out one of her wildest fantasies.

"You know," she said, once she felt the courage, "I was just thinking that I wanted to see you."

He smiled, and squeezed the hand he was leading her with, "Me too, actually."

The music came to an end, and Usagi curtsied to her dance partner, and he bowed to her. As the crowd politely applauded, she heard Luna call out, "Usagi-chan!"

"Luna?" she looked around, and saw her furry companion near the balcony. She turned to excuse herself from Tuxedo Kamen, but he had vanished. She felt that same longing in her chest whenever he disappeared, but this time it was a little different. Now she still had the lingering warmth of his body on her hands, and the tender strength of his arm around her waist. He was still with her, in his own way. She sighed, and dashed off to meet Luna.

"What's up?" she asked her cat, "Did you find anything?"

"No, I don't sense anything," Luna sighed, "Nothing at all. She's not our princess."

"But what about the treasure?" Usagi pondered, "When is she going to come out and present it anyway?"

Princess Dee was hiding. Her mother, the Queen, was the only reason she was being forced to host this ball. So she chose Tokyo, the farthest embassy from home, to go out in public. She hated appearances, she hated commoners, and she especially hated her family treasure. She sighed in her dressing room, adjusting her large glasses. If it weren't for that stupid diamond, she would be just another boring foreign princess, but here she was like a sideshow spectacle.

"Your Majesty," her aid bowed to her, "Are you almost ready to meet the crowd? It's getting late."

"Fine, fine," she grumbled, "Where's my interpreter?"

"Here," a lady with curling, brown hair and a devilish grin came before her, "Follow me, princess."

Dee sighed again, "Have I told you how much I hate this?"

"Many times, princess," the woman grumbled in a low, almost masculine voice.

"Everyone loves the treasure more than me," she moped, "If I was prettier, I could probably outshine that stupid diamond. But look at me. Nobody cares about _me_. I'm worthless."

"Yes," the woman snarled, "You are nothing," and suddenly her body vanished. Her clothes crumpled to the floor. The last thing Dee saw was a frightening black shadow rushing toward her.

Once Nephrite's shadow felt comfortable in Princess Dee's body, he raced her toward the room where the treasure was being kept. She ordered the guards, "Stand aside, I want what's mine!" She rushed in, grabbed the jewel in its case, and with an insane laugh ran toward the doors.

Princess Dee's possessed body rushed through the crowd, shoving people aside, and raced toward the balcony.

Usagi saw the princess coming like a train off its track. She panicked, "What do we do, Luna?"

"Help her!" Luna cried out.

Usagi rushed toward the princess as she made her way out to the balcony. She grabbed her and pulled her back just as she was about to jump over the edge, "What are you doing? Be careful."

"Let me go!" the possessed princess yelled as she threw Usagi off of her body. Usagi tumbled over the railing, grabbing on at the very last second.

"Usagi-chan!" Luna called out. Here she was helpless, and she cursed herself for being a cat. Princess Dee had moved back inside the ballroom, and everyone was watching her, not the young lady who was about to die on the balcony.

Silk gloves weren't the best things to keep you grip on a marble balcony railing. Usagi was slipping, and fast. When she felt her hands detach from the railing, she screamed for one second before her arm was caught by someone with a strong grip. She looked up, and Tuxedo Kamen had grabbed her in the nick of time.

She heard her communicator beep, and Ami's voice piped through, "Usagi-chan? Where are you?"

"Oh, just hanging out," she said sarcastically, "What's going on in there?"

"Princess Dee is possessed by the enemy!" Ami explained, "There's a dark shadow over her head, and it's growing. It seems that whoever it touches, they go into a trance. You have to get here right now!"

"I'm trying, I'm..." she looked up at Tuxedo Kamen, who seemed to be having a difficult time holding her up. He was starting to fall off the balcony too. Usagi started to panic again.

"Usagi-chan!" Luna called out, "Use the pen!"

Tuxedo Kamen grunted as his weight was being pulled too far forward, and he began to fall. Using her free hand, Usagi grabbed her pen and yelled, "Moon Power! Turn into... into anything that's gonna save our lives!" she screamed out the last part, as Tuxedo Kamen had pitched forward and they began to fall.

The pen started to grow, and blossomed into a giant pink umbrella. It flipped them, carrying them down gently to the ground. Even after they safely landed, Tuxedo Kamen kept a tight grip around her waist.

"You saved me today," he smiled as he finally released her, "Thank you." And with that, he slipped into the shadows.

"No," Usagi said, taking her brooch from her pocket, "You're the one always saving me. Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

Usagi felt her power rush over her body, but once it was done, something didn't feel quite right. She took off her goggles, feeling her face. She had her white winged barrettes, red medallions on her buns, her earrings...but no tiara. She gasped, remembering that it was in the fire that covered her enemy's body in the last battle. It had burned away, and it wasn't going to reappear. She felt panicked, and instinctively looked up at the full moon. Once she saw its glow, she felt her power around her once again, even warmer and more relaxing than before. It reminded her of all the times she had been in Tuxedo Kamen's arms, and felt his own warmth. And suddenly, a new tiara appeared on her head, more golden and bejeweled than ever before. She felt the new stone in the centerpiece, which was a huge diamond. It lit up, creating a bubble of energy around her. She looked up at the balcony, knowing that she had to get back up there, and the bubble carried her straight up, vanishing once she was over the ledge.

"Sailor Moon!" she heard Sailor Mercury cry.

"About time!" Sailor Mars naturally yelled, "Hurry!"

Usagi rushed to their side, horrified at the scene. Princess Dee was standing in the middle of the room, and a dark shadow hovered over her. It was expanding, and people were trying to desperately get away. The people in its path were standing still, their eyes glowing white. Usagi nearly screamed when she saw that her father was one of the people to have been sucked in.

There was a face in the shadow, belonging to a man. He looked around the room and laughed, "I, Nephrite, will take your treasure, and use you all as sacrifices to our great ruler!"

"You wish!" Rei called out. She rushed as close to the shadow as she could, holding out a hand. A small, flaming scroll appeared, and she called out her demon banishing spell, "_Akuryo taisan!_"

Nothing happened. The scroll was absorbed into the shadow, not affecting it in the least. Rei looked to her teammates for guidance, but ended up asking, "Who is that?"

Usagi turned around to see Tuxedo Kamen standing in the balcony, in his full regalia of cape and top hat. He said gently, "Sailor Moon, in order to conquer the darkness, you must use the light."

"What?" Usagi was confused, "Where are we gonna get light?"

"Your tiara!" Luna said suddenly, "It's morphed! Shine it in the light of the moon, and focus it on Princess Dee."

Feeling confident from Tuxedo Kamen and Luna, Usagi stepped forward, "Only cowards would possess a pretty princess to get what they want! I am Sailor Moon, and on behalf of the moon, I will punish you!" She quickly tilted her tiara so the new gem reflected the moonlight. It shone brilliantly, casting plenty of white light around the room. Before focusing it on the shadow she called out her attack, "Moon Twilight Flash!"

The second it touched the shadow, it twisted and shriveled, disappearing quickly. Nephrite had to step away from his crystal ball, since it lit up so brilliantly he was afraid it might shatter. Once it went dark, he swore, "Damn you Sailor Moon, how could you destroy my shadow so easily?"

In the ballroom, the possessed people collapsed, including Princess Dee. Her glasses slipped off, and Sailor Moon rushed over to help her get them back on. The princess moaned, and when she looked up, Usagi gasped. The princess had lovely eyes and beautiful features.

"What happened?" Dee asked, "Where are my glasses?"

"Here," Usagi handed them to her, and when the princess slipped them back on she resumed her dorky look.

"Hey," Ami grinned at Rei, "You don't think Umino-kun..."

"No. Way." Rei said quickly, trying to suppress a grin.

The people started making their way back to their feet, and Usagi helped Princess Dee off the ground, "You saved everyone," Princess Dee said gratefully, "Who are you?"  
>"The champion of justice, Sailor Moon!" Usagi declared.<p>

A quick murmur went around the room, and soon people started applauding and cheering. Photographers began taking Usagi's picture, including her own father.

"Sailor Moon!" a photographer called out, "Smile, this is for the front page!"

"Sailor Moon, where did you come from? What are your motives?"

Usagi was speechless, she had never been interviewed before.

"We kick butt, that's what we do!" Rei rushed next to Usagi, "I'm Sailor Mars!"

Ami blushed, but joined them, "And I'm Sailor Mercury."

The three girls were hailed as heroes, and they stood behind Princess Dee when she finally presented her family treasure.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the princess' aid announced, "Her Royal Highness, Princess Deeana Delilah Denisse Diedra."

Dee opened the case to reveal a diamond statue that was at least a foot tall. It was a sculpture of a woman who bore a lot of resemblance to Princess Dee, "This is our family's most prized possession, a two thousand carat diamond statue of Deeland's first princess. And due to the success of tonight, I plan to take this on tour around the world!"

There was a huge applause, and the focus of the crowd shifted from the sailor soldiers to Princess Dee.

"I'm exhausted," Usagi said, "I'm gonna get a drink. Anyone else?"

"I'm fine," Rei said, and Usagi went off alone. Luna hopped into Ami's arms, and she asked him, "Who was that guy talking to Sailor Moon during the battle? The guy in the tuxedo?"

"Tuxedo Kamen," Luna answered a little solemnly, "He appears at every battle we've had so far. Sailor Moon seems to really enjoy his company, but I'm wary of him. Speaking of which, where did he go?"

"Shall we split up and find him?" Rei offered, "He can't have gone far, right?"

Usagi had grabbed the first champagne flute of sparkling cider she found and drank it in one gulp. It shocked her, as it was much stronger than she was used to, but it tasted amazing. She quickly drank another, and decided that this was the best sparkling cider she had ever had.

"Garcon," she felt herself giggling, "I need, like, five more of these!"

After a couple more glasses, she realized that it wasn't sparkling cider at all. She felt dizzy and sleepy, but she also felt very alive. She stumbled a little, trying to find a place to lay down, and accidentally bumped into a man, "Oh, sorry," she said. He was extremely warm, and she couldn't resist closing her eyes and sinking into his warmth.

Tuxedo Kamen smiled, and carefully carried her into a hallway. They were alone there, and the only light came from the moon. He set her in a large window sill and watched her rest. Her features were so beautiful in the moonlight, and he remembered her smile while they danced the waltz. He longed to be close to her again. He pressed his hand against her cheek, and she sighed and leaned into it, her lips parting. It was far too tempting for him, and he leaned forward and very delicately kissed her lips.

Usagi leaned into him, strengthening the kiss. She had never felt so perfect in all her life. She was sleepy, drunk, happy, and was being kissed by the most handsome man she had ever known. And it felt so right. The longer they kissed, the more she didn't want this moment to end. It even felt like this had happened before, but very long ago. She was having some pleasant deja vu, even though this was her first kiss. She had felt these lips before, and that warmth... she had been in this position many times before...

"Get away from Usagi-chan!" Luna called out, and Tuxedo Kamen jumped away. Usagi's eyes fluttered.

"Who are you?" Luna demanded, "Why do you always appear at our battles?"

He smiled a little, "Like you, I am searching for the Silver Crystal."

Luna regarded him carefully, "Does that make you our ally or our enemy?"

"Well," he shrugged, "If we're after the same thing, I suppose that makes me your enemy," at that moment a dark cloud passed over the moon, darkening the hall, and he took that opportunity to disappear.

"Wait," Usagi mumbled, "Wait, Tux..." she slipped off the window sill, landing hard on the marble floor, "Ow."

Luna licked her face, "Let's get you home, Usagi-chan."

It started raining late that night. It poured down heavily, and soon lightning ripped apart the sky. It was the kind of weather that people would go inside and hide during, but she stepped outside. Rain splashed on her face, soaking her curly hair and her brown school uniform.

"It's coming," she smiled, "The storm is finally coming."


	6. Act 5: Makoto

Act 5: Makoto

"Where am I?" Usagi was surrounded by clouds. This place felt familiar, but was also so unfamiliar at the same time.

"What's my name?" she suddenly realized, "It's Usagi Tsukino, I know that, but it doesn't seem right."

A man started calling out to her, but he was hard to see through the clouds. He was walking toward her, calling out to her in a name she didn't recognize, but it was her name. But it wasn't her name.

"Who..." she started to ask, but her alarm clock rang right at that moment, jolting her awake.

"Usagi-chan!" Luna sang, "Get out of bed! Time to get ready for school!"

"Yeah, I figured that out already," she said, shutting off the alarm clock her mother had bought for her. She was grumpy for a lot of reasons, mostly for interrupting her dream. When she sat up, her world spun, and a sharp headache throbbed in her head.

"Ow ow ow," she rubbed her forehead.

"Hung over?" Luna sneered, "That's what you deserve."

"How was I supposed to know that was alcohol?" Usagi sighed.

"How did you _not _know that was alcohol?" Luna countered.

"Why are you so loud?" Usagi groaned as she climbed out of bed.

It was a rainy morning, so Usagi was grateful that she didn't have to run today. Knowing her, she would end up in a puddle if she wasn't careful. She trod carefully under her umbrella, with Luna around her shoulders. Her head hurt and she was still tired, and she yawned as she asked, "Luna, what's the weirdest dream you ever had?"

"That's random," Luna answered, "Why, did you have a bizarre dream last night?"

"Yeah," Usagi said, "But now that I'm awake, it's hard to remember."

"You know, Usagi-chan," Luna tried to sound wise, "You should try to live with more vigilance."

"What's a vigilance?" Usagi asked.

"That's when you do things like get up early in the morning," Luna explained, "Or have a better understanding of a sense of crisis and more awareness of your abilities as a sailor soldier of justice. Take that Tuxedo Kamen, for example."

Usagi suddenly felt very stiff, but Luna continued, "We don't know who he is or what he's trying to do, other than try to find the Silver Crystal. He even said that he could be our enemy. I think you should try to avoid him, Usagi-chan."

That seemed like the very last thing that Usagi would ever want to do. She countered with, "How am I supposed to avoid him if he just appears?"

Luna kept babbling about vigilance, and Usagi once again toned her out. She hadn't really thought about that moment, or those few moments, with Tuxedo Kamen the night before. Just the thought of him made her feel weak in the knees. And when he had kissed her... why did it feel so familiar? It felt like something she had done a very long time ago, but that was impossible. And his warmth and strong hands brought out some strange feelings in her, as if she were remembering something but couldn't get exactly what it was. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to bring herself back to that moment.

"Usagi-chan, are you even listening to me? Usagi... Usagi-chan, look out!"

She snapped back to reality to find she had instinctively crossed the street without checking for the signal. A car was rushing right for her, honking its horn. She became paralyzed with fear.

Somebody strong grabbed her and pulled her out of harm's way just in time. For a split second she thought it was Tuxedo Kamen, but this grip was different. It was strong, but not as strong as his, and this person had a rose perfume on. Once she was pulled back to the crosswalk, she looked up to find a tall girl with brown, curly hair in a high ponytail. Her sailor school uniform was brown and white, which Usagi didn't recognize at all.

"You better watch where you're going," the girl said as she walked off.

"Um, yeah, thanks," Usagi said, feeling confused. She watched the tall girl walk away, and as she was wondering who she could be, it started to drizzle.

Naru was passing out photos before class that were making the girls scream. Usagi quickly set down her book bag and went to look. She smiled as she saw Naru wearing a beautiful bridal gown and veil, "Wow! Naru-chan, you look amazing! That dress really suits you!"

"Thanks," Naru blushed, "My cousin is getting married, and I was out dress shopping with her. There's this new bridal boutique right at the entrance of the shopping district. It was so nice, they even let me try on a few of the dresses."

"Awesome," Usagi said as she flipped through the other photos of Naru in equally stunning dresses, "I've never been to a wedding before, they must be so glamorous."

"When is your cousin getting married?" Yumiko asked.

Naru's smile faded, "Well, about that... it's supposed to be in June, but her fiance went missing the other day."

"What?" the girls screamed.

"Yeah," Naru nodded, "We found out while we were dress shopping. She fainted, and hasn't got out of bed since. He works late hours, and he just didn't come home one night. Nobody knows what could have happened."

"That's terrible, Naru-chan," Usagi put an arm around her friend, "I'm so sorry."

"But you know what they say," Kuri smiled, "A June bride finds true happiness."

"Aww, that's lovely," Yumiko sighed, and the three girls simultaneously said, "I want to be a bride," which made them all giggle.

The door to the class suddenly slid open, and everyone went rigid, expecting Haruda. But it wasn't. Usagi gasped, as it was the girl who had saved her life that morning.

She looked around the room and just called out, "Is this class 6?"

"No," Umino answered a little gruffly, "This is class 1. Class 6 is next door."

"Oh," she shrugged.

One of the boys in Usagi's class approached her, "Hey, transfer girl. Why aren't you wearing the correct uniform?"

She shrugged again, "The one here doesn't fit me. Too tiny."

"And we don't allow perms here."

The girl marched toward him, grabbed his tie, and put her face in hers, "This is natural. See? All natural. Stop hating," and she gave him a small shove before she stormed out of the class.

"Who _is _that girl?" Usagi asked out loud.

Naturally, Umino knew all the details, "She transferred to this school today. She got kicked out of her other school for fighting. Rumor has it that she has incredible super strength!"

"Sure," Usagi rolled her eyes, "Super strength, totally believable," but she couldn't forget how easily she had been pulled out of the street.

"Where do you want to eat lunch?" Naru asked.

"It stopped raining, let's go to our usual spot in the courtyard," Usagi smiled.

"Not so fast," Haruda said, standing next to Usagi, "Tsukino-san, you need to make up this quiz before I can dismiss you."

Usagi sighed, "See you guys in a minute."

Once her ordeal was over, Usagi got her bento box out of her bag and happily made her way outside. While she walked by the baseball field, she noticed the transfer girl sitting alone in a corner, staring up at the sky as she slowly ate. She stopped to observe the strange girl, and immediately noticed that her bento was packed in a very adorable fashion. It was covered in little bows, and her food was arranged to look like a small tea party, featuring sushi rolls with smiling faces. Even the lunch bag it had been packed in was really cute. Usagi felt herself salivating, and didn't hear a bat behind her crack, boys cheering, and a baseball zooming her way.

The girl turned to the sound, saw that the ball was heading toward Usagi's head, and quickly got to her feet and shoved Usagi out of the way just in time. Usagi screamed.

"Hey, watch it!" the girl called out angrily. She grabbed the baseball and threw it back at the boys who were playing. The boys were stunned, as she had a better arm than any of them.

"And you," the girl turned to Usagi and smiled a little, "You need to pay better attention to your surroundings. That's the second time I saved your skin today."

"Sorry," Usagi said, not quite sure what to do.

"Is that your lunch?" the girl bent over to pick it up. She didn't say anything, but Usagi could tell that she was silently asking to eat with her.

"Yeah," Usagi said, "Your sushi looks really cute. What store did you buy it from?"

"Oh, I rolled it myself," the girl shrugged, "Do you want some? I made extra."

"Really?" Usagi tried not to drool, "Well, um, you know, I really don't eat much, but if you insist."

The girl grinned while she watched Usagi devour her meal, "This is really nice. I don't know why, but people seem to be afraid to approach me and talk to me. I don't really have a lot of friends, I even live on my own. My parents... well, anyway. Do you know any good supermarkets around here? I love shopping. How about a good shopping center, or even an arcade..."

Usagi's attention was finally piqued, "An arcade? Yeah, I know an awesome arcade! It's called the Crown Game Center, you have to go! Come with me after school?

She smiled, "Yeah, sure!"

"Code Name: Sailor V!" the game sang as the two girls advanced to the next level.

"This one is tricky," Usagi said, "Do you know what to do?"

"Yeah, I played this at my old arcade," the transfer girl answered, "You have to have Sailor V transform at just the right moment. Right... now!"

She pushed the buttons, and the pretty blond girl on the screen suddenly changed into her Sailor V outfit.

"Now for the fighting pattern," the girl kept explaining, "This combo works best on these bosses, see? And now the death move!" and with that, the level was easily beaten.

"Usagi-chan, there you are!" Ami's voice came from the front door, and she came in holding Luna, "We were looking for you after school. Who..." Ami paused once she got close enough to see how far in the game this new girl had advanced.

"Hey Ami-chan!" the arcade guy made his way over, "And Usagi-chan too. Who is this, a school friend of yours?'

She turned to face him, "I just transferred to Juuban Junior High. My name's Makoto Kino. Nice you meet you."

"You too," he smiled, "I'm Motoki Furuhata."

"That's your name?" Usagi blurted out, "I mean... of course I always knew your name, duh. I just never heard your full name before."

"Oh," he smiled, "Well, everyone at my college calls me Furu-chan."

"That's cute," Usagi giggled, "Furu-chan, I like it. And hey, we can turn Makoto-san into Mako-chan! How fun!"

Makoto blushed, "Nobody's ever called me something like that before."

"So it is!" Usagi declared, "You're the super strong and excellent cook, the defender of arcade games, Mako-chan!"

"Really?" Luna said under her breath, "Really?"

"Don't worry," Ami scratched the cats head, "We all know Usagi-chan has no shame."

"So," Mako-chan smiled, "Where else is a cool place to go around here?"

"Yeah!" Usagi's cup of joy was brimming, "Let's go to the shopping district."

"Oh," Ami nodded, "There was this rumor buzzing around my class this morning about the new bridal shop there. They say it's cursed."

"The bridal shop?" Usagi quickly remembered her conversation from that morning, "Naru-chan was just there. Let's go look."

The overcast clouds seemed to gather around the new bridal building. Above the huge entrance was a glamorous mannequin, wearing a gigantic flowing gown with an equally long veil.

"Wow," Makoto looked up at her, "It looks like she's about to swoop down at any moment, doesn't she? But she's pretty," she blushed a little and said, "It must be wonderful to be a bride, someday..."

Two women emerged from the shop right then, and one said to the other, "See? I told you it wasn't haunted."

"That doesn't prove anything," the other replied, "They say you have to buy a dress here in order to be haunted by the ghost of a bride. She's supposed to be beautiful, and will try to seduce the groom."

The first woman laughed, "Then it's a good thing I didn't get my dress here."

Usagi, Ami and Makoto stayed still long after the two women walked away, creeped out by what they had just heard.

"So," Makoto said, "Anywhere else we can go?"

"Phobos, Deimos!" Rei called out, and her crows flew toward her outstretched hands full of birdseed. She laughed as they rested on her arms and ate their meal.

"Rei-chan!" she heard her grandfather call from inside the temple, "You have some visitors."

Rei quickly dumped the seed on the ground, and the crows scrambled for it. When she went inside, she shuddered at the sound of her Grandpa talking to her friends.

"You girls are so cute! You should all work here part time as shrine maidens! What do you think?"

"Really?" she heard Usagi reply, "Would we get to boss around Rei-chan?"

"Grandpa!" Rei said as she entered the sitting room, "Do you really have to flirt with every girl that comes here? These are my friends."

"Fiery Rei-chan," he grinned at her as he stood, "Everything is an argument with you, isn't it?"

She kept her arms crossed until he was gone. Usagi was giggling, "I thought he was being really sweet."

"Yeah, I've heard that, but..." Rei finally looked at her friends, and got a chill as she spotted someone new.

"Oh, this is Mako-chan," Usagi introduced, "She's new to our school."

"Rei-chan, you won't believe what we just heard," Ami said, "There's a new bridal shop near the shopping district with this ghost bride..."

"Oh, I've heard that," Rei quickly interrupted, "The one that seduces men?"

"That's the one," Usagi said, "But my friend's fiance recently disappeared, do you think there's a connection?"

"Even if there is, it's his own fault," Rei said resolutely, "How foolish to fall in love with a ghost bride. Seriously, men are so stupid."

"Rei-chan!" Usagi gasped, and so did Makoto quietly, "I bet you've never even liked a guy, or even been kissed!"

"Of course not, I don't trust guys," Rei nodded, "And don't act like you've been kissed, Usagi-chan. Wait, have you?"

There was a brief silence, and Usagi stammered, "W-well, of course not. Who do you think I am?"

Luna said a very stern, "Meow."

"Anyway," Makoto stood, "This conversation is getting too lively for me. I'm gonna head home. Thanks for letting me hang out with you guys," and she left in a small hurry.

"Hey, Luna," Rei said in a more gentle tone.

"I know," Luna nodded knowledgeably.

"Maybe our team will come together sooner than we think," Rei said in her misty, prophetic voice.

"What about this bride ghost thing?" Ami said, "Do you think it could be the enemy? Almost any time we hear a rumor about something strange, it turns out bad, doesn't it?"

"You're right," Luna said, "We should keep our eyes and ears open. If there are any leads to this ghost, follow it."

Motoki rubbed his eyes. They were tired from staring at so many arcade screens all afternoon. Sighing, he locked up the building and made his way back to his apartment.

His cell phone rang, and when he saw who it was, he sighed. There was only one reason why his roommate would call him, "What's up, Endou-san?"

"Party tonight!" his friend practically sang on the other end, "You in, Furu-chan?"

"I have tons of homework tonight, you know I can't."

"But Reika-san is here! And I'm sure she's dying to see you too!"

He didn't like what his friend was implying, "Unfortunately, I have a paper due tomorrow morning. Tell Reika-san hello for me, won't you?" he said before hanging up. He sighed again, and did his best to not think about all the opportunities he could be having with Reika Nishimura at that moment.

When he looked up, there was a woman standing right in front of him. But it wasn't any woman, it was a bride, in a huge dress and a flowing veil. Motoki froze, "Um."

The bride's eyes sparkled, "Handsome man, look into my eyes. Won't you become my lover, and give me your energy?"

Motoki felt as if he was falling into a dark pit.

Makoto walked down the steps from her apartment to the vending machine, craving a late night treat. She remembered how much her mother disapproved of her drinking soda so late at night, and grinned when she recalled the times her father would slip her a cold can when Mother wasn't watching. She bought her drink, and popped the lid and gave a toast to the sky, "Here's to you, Mom, Dad. I miss you," and took a sip.

She nearly did a spit take when she looked up and saw the cute guy from the arcade, Furu-chan, standing in front of her. Her heart fluttered. She had just written four pages in her diary about how cute this guy was, and now here he was, at her apartment building, late at night. What was going on?

"Mako-chan," he smiled seductively, "Come with me."

"W-what?" she stammered, "What's... what's wrong with your eyes, Furu-chan?"

"I've been waiting for you."

Blood was rushing to her cheeks, "You have?"

"Oh yes," he slowly sauntered toward her, "Just for you. I love you. Won't you come with me? Won't you give me your energy?"

Mamoru was suffering from a sleepless night. He was actually a little grateful for it, since his nights had recently become so strange. After going to bed, events seemed to happen, and it was getting harder to tell if they were actually dreams or really happening. Some parts felt very real, while others seemed more mysterious and strange.

He took in a deep whiff of the night air, relaxing himself as he walked. But he kept feeling as if this wasn't what he should be doing at that very moment. He felt like he had to be going somewhere, helping someone, or even looking into the eyes of that girl again.

"You're going crazy," he told himself, "I guess I've been dealing with a lot of pressure. It must be getting to me," he stopped talking when he heard another voice nearby, coming from the next apartment building. It was odd to hear other people wandering around the apartments this late, and he went to look. He gasped when he saw his neighbor, Motoki Furuhata, and a young high school girl. But something was not right at all about this scene.

He took off his glasses and quickly undid his tie. It was time.

Usagi had been having a comfortable, dreamless sleep when she suddenly woke up. She felt completely wide awake. She checked her clock, and it was three in the morning. She thought for a moment that she had finally got some of that vigilance stuff Luna was talking about, until she rolled over to find Tuxedo Kamen in her open window.

She sat straight up, gaping at the handsome man in her window sill. She whispered to him, "Is this a dream?"

He shook his head, and quietly jumped out the window. She rushed over and saw him standing in the garden. He gestured for her to come down, urgently. He held out his arms, ready to catch her.

Usagi looked down at herself. She was only wearing her long nightgown. But, she figured, there were worse situations to be in, and being alone at night with Tuxedo Kamen and no pants was not one of them. Just in case, she grabbed her brooch and pen from her desk, and went back to the window, remembering Luna's advice to follow any leads. Surely she wouldn't mind if she took those words literally. Usagi hastily jumped out the window, and Tuxedo Kamen caught her with ease. After setting her down he dashed out of the yard, silently gesturing her to follow him.

Luna had been curled up on Usagi's bed, and she stretched and rolled over, only to find that Usagi was not at her side. She opened one eye, and heard something strange outside. She looked out in time to see Usagi followed Tuxedo Kamen out of the yard and into the street. Luna could hear his voice in her mind, "I suppose that makes me your enemy," and she suddenly had a very strong feeling of dread.

She activated Usagi's communicator, "Ami-chan, Rei-chan, come in! Wake up, both of you! Usagi-chan ran out with Tuxedo Kamen! I don't know where they are going!"

Usagi ignored her freezing bare feet as she ran after Tuxedo Kamen. Wherever they were going, he seemed to be in a huge hurry.

"Hey," she called out, "Where are you leading me? What's..." she stopped talking when he turned around, put a finger to his lips, and kept running. She continued to chase until he very suddenly disappeared, hiding in some shadows near an apartment building.

Usagi looked around, confused, and realizing that she was somewhere in Tokyo in just a night shirt, when she noticed a strange glow near one of the buildings. She nearly gasped when she saw Mako-chan and Furu-chan in a tight embrace, and surrounded by a bright light. When she looked closer, she could make out a figure in that light, and it looked suspiciously like the mannequin bride.

"Usagi-chan!" she heard Luna call out her name. She looked, and saw her cat and two friends, also in their night clothes, rushing toward her.

"It's the enemy! We have to save Mako-chan," she grabbed her transformation pen, and thought quickly about how to confront an evil bride.

Nephrite chuckled from the rooftop as he watched his shadow bride work her magic. He would soon be collecting two new victims to hide in the mannequins of the shop, and use their loving energy to give to their great ruler. Especially this girl, he noted. There was something about her, from a long lost memory, but it remained on the tip of his tongue. To distract himself, he began fantasizing about how pleased Queen Beryl would be when he spotted a commotion nearby. He suddenly feared the worst.

Makoto was in heaven. Here was the cutest boy she had ever met, and now he was embracing her in the middle of the night. She felt relaxed, and sleepy, as if he were slowly taking away her strength. But she was jolted back to reality when she heard a man call out, "Hey, bride!"

The light around the mannequin vanished, and Motoki collapsed to the ground. Makoto gasped and leaned against a wall, terrified. She looked up to see a groom with blond hair enter the scene.

"If you're the bride, then I'm your groom," the strange man smiled, "Shall we go to our wedding... in Hell?"

That was when Makoto finally noticed the bride. It stepped back and demanded, "Who are you?"

The groom held up a shiny pendant, and called out, "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" There was a bright flash, and Makoto covered her eyes. When she peeked she whispered, "I don't believe it."

Sailor Moon crossed her arms, "I won't allow you to disguise yourself as a bride and use those charms to your evil advantage! I am the sailor-suited pretty soldier of love and justice, Sailor Moon! And in the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"And I am Sailor Mercury, the soldier of water and intelligence!" Ami declared as she stepped up next to her friend, "You should use your wisdom to benefit humanity and make the world a better place, not to manipulate people! I'll drown you with my Mercury power! You're punished!"

"And I am Sailor Mars!" Rei entered the scene, "I won't have you deceiving women this way! I'll set you on fire with Mars power! I'll punish you in high heels!"

"Wait," Makoto interrupted, "What do you mean, manipulate? And deceive? Damn, I... I..." fueled with rage, Makoto turned to the bride, not noticing the glowing symbol appearing on her own forehead. She lifted the bride over her head with ease and yelled, "I'll show you how strong a girl's innocence really is!" She tossed her to the ground, and the bride let out a yelp, vanishing into thin air.

"Mako-chan!" a high-pitched voice was calling out her name, and oddly enough, Usagi's black cat rushed up to her, carrying what appeared to be a green and gold pen in her mouth. At that moment, she felt a powerful rush over her whole body, like lightning, and the next thing she knew she was dressed in an outfit very similar to the three sailor soldiers. Her skirt was dark green like her new ankle boots and sailor collar, and the bow on her chest was a soft pink. She felt her face, realizing that her rose-scented earrings were still there, but now she had a tiara that had some kind of lightning rod sticking out from it.

"Sailor soldiers!" a voice called out from above, and the four girls looked up at the strange new man, "That was just my shadow. You've ruined our plans yet again. The people I captured for their energy are awakening now. So I'm just going to have to kill all of you!"

"Oh yeah?" Makoto grinned, always eager to fight. She could feel a great power swirling around her, and the scent of roses filled her nose. She released her attack, "Flower Hurricane!" and a great rush of rose petals swarmed the evil man.

"What's this?" he called out, "I can't see a thing!"

"I need more power!" Makoto called out, "A great storm! Lightning! Lightning... from Jupiter!" she heard her antenna crackle with energy, and when she called out, "Jupiter Thunderbolt!" lightning suddenly struck her tiara, and went zooming right at the man. He cried out and fell to the ground, charred black and very dead.

The crystal ball crackled and went dark.

"No!" the third general cried out, "Nephrite, not you too!"

He heard a chuckle nearby, and turned to see his last remaining cohort.

"Oh, Zoisite," he sniggered, his long white hair blowing in the cold breeze of the castle, "Learn from him. Use your head before you go in for the attack, or you will make the same mistake as Nephrite. You don't want to ruin our reputation, do you?"

"What's wrong with you Kunzite?" Zoisite demanded, "Show some respect, won't you?"

"What's going on?" came the demanding voice of Queen Beryl. The two generals knelt as she approached. She only needed to glance at the crystal ball to know what happened, "That damn Sailor Moon killed Nephrite, did she? If he had managed to find the Silver Crystal, this wouldn't have happened. We no longer need to focus on the tedious task of collecting energy. Our priority is now the crystal, no matter what!"

Makoto was shaking, and when she fell to the ground, the three girls rushed to her side. Luna, however, wasn't concerned, "Usagi-chan, what were you thinking? Why would you just run off with Tuxedo Kamen like that?"

"You told me to follow any leads," Usagi insisted, looking away from Makoto, "And I did."

"If you say so," Luna grumbled, and before she could continue lecturing, Tuxedo Kamen appeared before them. All the girls and Luna gaped at him. He just smiled and nodded at Luna, and then dashed down the street.

"But I suppose," Luna said quietly, "If you hadn't followed him, then we would have never known about this attack. But if he thinks he's an enemy, then why did he try to help us?"

Motoki moaned, waking up from his attack. Everyone now stared at him.

"Come upstairs with me," Makoto made her way to her feet, "It's safe in my apartment."

Once they made their way inside and Makoto shut the door, she burst into tears, "I'm such an idiot! I can't believe I fell for that trick."

"Mako-chan," Usagi gently put her hand on Makoto's shoulder, "Don't be upset."

"There was this guy," Makoto explained, "He was older, and really handsome. But he broke my heart. Furu-chan reminded me of him. I thought for a moment... but no, of course it was too good to be true. That's why I decided to transfer in the first place. But once I did, I realized that he wasn't the reason I wanted to get away. I knew something was coming. I could feel it whenever it rained. It was like the wind carried me to this place. There was something, right here, that was far more important than falling in love with boys. Something was waiting for me, right here."

"And here we are," Usagi smiled at her.

"You don't need to cry," Rei attempted to reassure her, "Don't waste your tears on something stupid like boys."

"Mako-chan," Luna began to explain, "I'm glad you followed your powers here. You are our ally. You are the protector of Jupiter, the soldier of thunder and courage, Sailor Jupiter!"

"Sailor Jupiter," Makoto smiled, "Yeah, that sounds about right. I can get behind this," she looked around at her three new allies, "This is pretty insane, but I like it."

"Awesome," Usagi smiled, "We have a strong team now, right Luna? Luna?"

The cat didn't reply. Instead, the moonlight from Makoto's window was shining down on Luna, bathing her in light. It slowly faded away, leaving behind a pink wand with a crescent moon on top.

"Sailor Moon," Luna said solemnly, "Four soldiers have come together. Now, you must become their leader, and you must protect the Silver Crystal and the Moon Princess."


	7. Act 6: Tuxedo Kamen

Act 6: Tuxedo Kamen

Mamoru woke very suddenly from his dream. He rubbed his eyes, trying to keep everything that happened in his head before it slipped away. The woman was there again, with long hair. She was calling out to him, "The Silver Crystal, the Silver Crystal," and he had woken up before he could get a good look at her face. It had been hard to see her through all the clouds and mist.

He sat up in bed, realizing that he was only wearing his black dress pants. He frowned a little, since this confirmed that half of his night truly did happen. It was getting easier to discern which parts of his night time activities happened in real life and just happened in his head. The woman with the long hair that called out to him was a dream, only a dream.

But why did it feel like he had known this woman very well? Like an old friend that he hadn't seen for years. And why did he keep dreaming about her?

He got out of bed for a drink of water. He reached for his father's pocket watch to check the time, and then realized for the millionth time that it was broken, and had been for over a decade. It had smashed in the accident, and remained frozen in time. He still liked to keep it on him, just to look at. The part that he liked the best was the sun and the moon that had drifted across the face when it worked. Now it was eternally stuck on the full moon.

"The moon," he whispered, and looked out his windows. Dawn was rising over Tokyo, but all that was on his mind was the moon. At least he had _her_ figured out, at last. Now he just had to deal with the woman in his dreams.

"Who are you?" he asked out loud, "And how am I ever going to find that Silver Crystal?"

As he watched the sun rise, he slowly thought of an idea. It was crazy, and dangerous, but it could work out very well. It would be the biggest risk he would have taken since he started having that dream, but having the Silver Crystal meant more to him than anything.

Mamoru called an old friend, "Hey, I know it's been a while. Do you still work at the newspaper? Good, because I have a big story for you."

"Bye bye!" Usagi called out as she dashed out the door for school. Luna watched her leave from the staircase. It was getting trickier to hang out by the school. The other day she had seen the kids that had put the Band-Aids on her head, and wanted to give that place a wide berth for a while. If her powers were disabled again, it could mean disaster for the sailor soldiers.

"Oh, there you are Luna," Ikuko smiled as she passed by the stairs, "Did you sleep in too? You're starting to act like Usagi."

Luna desperately wished she could say, "Of course I didn't! I never sleep in," but she knew better. She just gave out a disgruntled, "Meow."

Ikuko reached down to scratch behind her ears, which Luna didn't mind at all, "You're such a cute kitty. Want to read the paper with me?"

Luna purred. That was exactly what she wanted to do. Ikuko set the cat in her lap as she sipped her morning coffee and began to read. It had been well over a week since anything related to their cause appeared in the paper, not since the girls had made the front page after rescuing Princess Dee. The past few days had gone by silently and peacefully, and Luna even wondered if the enemy had possibly given up. But when Ikuko turned to the second page, Luna gave out a yelp. There was a huge photo of Tuxedo Kamen, underneath the headline, "Search for a priceless Silver Crystal! What crimes did this masked man commit to find it? And how is this related to Sailor Moon and Sailor V?"

A very cold chill went up Luna's spine.

"Hey guys!" Usagi grinned as she saw her friends on their way to school. Ami and Makoto stopped to say hello.

"I'm surprised you're on time," Ami smiled, "For once you managed not to oversleep."

"It's all because of these dreams I'm having," Usagi said, yawning a little, "They're really weird."

"Ooh," Makoto smiled, "I love interpreting dreams. Tell me all about them."

"Well..." a part of Usagi wanted to keep it all to herself, because she didn't know how she felt about her dreams yet. But she remembered that these were her best friends and fellow soldiers, and they had a right to know some things, "It's always in this really cloudy place, and it's hard to see anything. And then this guy appears..."

They rounded a corner, and walking directly toward them was Mamoru Chiba. He and Usagi both stopped in their tracks at the sight of each other.

"Hey dumpling," he smiled at her, "I hope you're going to school to study and not slack off. I don't want any more failed tests in my face."

Usagi stuck her tongue out at him, "You should mind your own business. Come on girls," and she walked by him with her head high.

Once he was out of earshot, Makoto leaned in to Usagi, "Who was that?"

"He's nobody!" Usagi said forcefully, "It's just some guy I keep running into a lot. He's a jerk, believe me."

Makoto smiled, "Then why are you blushing?"

"I'm not blushing!" Usagi covered her face.

"What ever happened to Tuxedo Kamen and Furu-chan? Are you cheating on them or something?"

"Mako-chan! It's not like that at all!" Usagi turned bright red.

Ami was trying to suppress her giggles, "Wasn't that guy wearing a Moto Azabu uniform? Do you know how hard it is to get into that school? They only accept the top one percent of their entrance exam. Only extremely smart boys can get into that school. And you say he's nothing! Do you know his name?"

"Mamoru Chiba," Usagi shrugged, "He's more like a smart aleck than a smarty-pants. You guys can have him if you want. Is he your type or something, Ami-chan?"

"Oh, I don't know," Ami blushed, "I prefer, well, older guys..."

Mako-chan nudged her, "You mean guys that work in arcades?"

"Possibly," Ami said in a small voice.

"Don't we all?" Makoto sighed, "Don't we all?"

Usagi ended up giggling and having fun all the way to school, but her good feelings died the second she walked into class and heard the gossip that Yumiko and Kuri were talking about.

"There's a mysterious man named Tuxedo Kamen who wanders around town every night. He commits crimes to search for this priceless stone called the Silver Crystal. And it's rumored that his rivals, Sailor Moon and Sailor V, are out to find it for themselves too. Hey Usagi-chan, are you alright?"

"Yeah," Usagi answered quietly, sitting down at her desk, "I just feel a little light-headed, that's all."

Luna used every ounce of patience as she waited for Ikuko to leave the house to run errands. When she finally did, Luna rushed to the telephone and dialed the number of the newspaper.

"Yes," Luna answered in the most human-sounding voice she could muster, "Is this the author of the Tuxedo Kamen article? I would like some more information on the Silver Crystal."

"I interviewed Tuxedo Kamen the other night," he replied, "He gave the statement exclusively to our paper. He states that there's a lost treasure called the Silver Crystal somewhere in Tokyo. We're getting a lot of calls about it, but most of them are false leads. Do you have information on the whereabouts of this stone?"

"N-no," Luna hesitated, "Could you tell me more about Tuxedo Kamen himself? Does anyone know who he is, or why he wants the crystal?"

"He's just as mysterious as the crystal," the reporter answered, "Please, only call if you have any more information on this story. We're pretty busy over here."

"Sorry," Luna said, hanging up. She shook her head, wondering what Tuxedo Kamen must be thinking. Obviously he was giving up on looking for the crystal, and instead would have all of Tokyo find it for him.

Kunzite made his way toward Zoisite's living quarters. He had always admired Zoisite's thinking, and had trained him personally as a general. Now that Zoisite was in charge of their operations, he wanted to check on his student to make sure his plan was solid. But once he entered the chamber, his jaw dropped.

Zoisite was standing in front of at least ten television monitors, all playing something different.

"Zoisite, what are these things?"

"Isn't it wonderful?" Zoisite grinned at his mentor, "They're called televisions. It's a method the humans use to transmit information to one another. It's brilliant. And feel this."

He held one of his hands near one of the television screens, and Kunzite hesitantly copied him, "What is this?"

"Electricity," Zoisite was smiling wider, "A magnificent form of energy. If we combine this type of energy with the humans, our great leader will be unstoppable. And do you want to hear the best part?"

"You are enjoying this far too much, Zoisite."

Zoisite changed the channel on a television, and a news reporter said, "The country is buzzing about a mysterious lost gem stone. Known as the Legendary Silver Crystal, it is said to be worth hundreds of billions of yen. We now go live to Tokyo, where our journalists are trying to uncover just where this crystal could be."

"How convenient," Kunzite was grinning now as well, "The humans are going to find the crystal for us. Have you told Queen Beryl?"

"Of course," Zoisite nodded, "She told me that, while I'm spreading the word about the Silver Crystal on Earth, that I must collect more human energy for our great ruler. And I, head of the Dark Kingdom's European division, know just how to do it."

Kunzite nodded, "As long as you don't dress up like a woman again. I hate your disguises."

Zoisite ran a hand through his long hair, "You're just jealous."

Luna called a meeting at the arcade the next day. All of them seemed slightly frantic.

"I can't believe that it's only been two days since this story broke, and I'm hearing about the Silver Crystal everywhere I go," Ami said worriedly, "There's gonna be a huge report on it tonight on television. The enemy has to be involved in this. They're going to make someone else find the crystal. If we don't do something now, then the princess is going to be in terrible danger."

"I know," Luna sighed, "I just can't believe that Tuxedo Kamen would do such a thing. Before this, I was sure that he wasn't involved with the enemy, but now I'm not sure at all."

"He's _not _the enemy," Usagi said a little forcefully, "I mean, he can't be. He just can't."

Makoto spoke up, "It seems that, so far, we've only seen the enemy whenever they've tried to attack us. We are gonna have to find a way to attack them. But how do we do that if we don't even know who they really are?"

"Believe me, I'm working on it," Luna said, "Actually, I think I might know who it could be. But if it is... then we are all in great danger."

The girls all leaned in closer to the cat.

Luna seemed like she didn't want to speak, "If it is that evil... if it's awakened and trying to control this planet once again..." she spoke hesitantly, "And if it finds... if it gets its hands on the crystal... it would be so terrible..."

"It?" Rei spoke up, "Just who is this evil?"

"And what is it about this crystal?" Usagi asked, "What exactly does it do? How powerful is it?"

Luna spoke bitterly, "Enough to blow up an entire planet. There, I said it. If that evil obtains the crystal, say goodbye to everything you know."

There was a silence, and Ami broke it, "How exactly are we supposed to find and protect something that is that powerful?"

"As soon as we find the princess of the Moon Kingdom, then it should come naturally. That's why you are all soldiers in the first place. It's your mission. That's why I was sent from the moon to awaken all of you."

"Wait! Whoa! Stop right there," Usagi stood up, "Luna, you're from the _moon_?"

Luna nodded.

"Is the princess from the moon too? I mean, she's the princess of the Moon Kingdom, that's what you said, right?"

"It's a long story," Luna sighed, "You will understand all of it once you are all fully awakened. For now, we need to investigate just what the enemy and Tuxedo Kamen are trying to do. Things could become very dangerous for us, so please, keep a look out for anything suspicious."

That statement seemed to conclude the meeting. The girls relaxed, and Usagi was glad to turn her attention to the Sailor V game. She tried to let her emotions about Luna's talk slip away during the game, but thoughts kept running around her head.

_A Moon Kingdom. And an object powerful enough to blow up the planet. Just what have we all got ourselves into?_

Usagi gasped when she entered a new level and saw that Sailor V was holding a wand that was identical to her own. The wand was currently in a very safe place in her desk, since she didn't know how to use it or what it even did. A large crowd of bad guys began to gang up on Sailor V, and when Usagi pushed the attack button, sparkling white light came from the wand, washing over the bad guys and turned them into normal, everyday people. Usagi smiled, wondering if her wand could do the same, and decided that she would keep it with her at all times, along with her brooch and pen.

"What do you guys think of Sailor V?" Usagi asked out loud, "She's a sailor soldier, just like us. Do you think she's an ally? And a regular school girl, like us?"

"She hasn't been in the news at all, really," Ami said, "It's like she just quit once we appeared on the scene."

Usagi shrugged, "It's probably because I'm obsessed with this game, but I think Sailor V-chan may know some things about the enemy."

Luna sat on Usagi's lap, "That game really does affect you, doesn't it? I suppose it's good practice before you face the real enemy."

Usagi was trembling when she turned on the evening news to hear the special report on the Silver Crystal. To her surprise, they had managed to find an expert on the Silver Crystal, a lady with long, blond hair named Professor Izono.

"The potential of this stone is incredible," Professor Izono described, "It can bring the dead back to life, or grant you immortality. The fact that this ancient stone is missing is unbelievable. It must be found right away."

"Where do you think this stone could be?" the interviewer asked.

"Anywhere," Professor Izono answered, looking directly into the camera, "Literally anywhere. It could be in your home right now, and you wouldn't know."

Usagi looked around her living room, convinced for a minute that it could be sitting right next to her.

"I'm declaring a nationwide search," Professor Izono concluded, "Everyone should search with all their might tomorrow. The Legendary Silver Crystal must be located!"

"There you have it," said the interviewer into the camera, "We will continue our talk with Professor Izono tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock. Tune in for the latest news concerning the Silver Crystal!"

Hysteria was the only word to describe it. Whenever there wasn't a teacher in their class, Usagi's classmates ripped apart their room, trying to see if the Crystal was there. After every corner was upended, they decided to split up during lunch to search the entire school. At the end of the day, people made plans to go to one anothers' homes to watch the special afternoon report. Usagi didn't say a word for the entire day, not knowing what to think.

Meanwhile, Zoisite was observing from a different perspective. He had stayed around the television station in his Professor Izono costume, partly marveling at the technology and partly amused by the insanity that had erupted. People were scrambling around the station, desperately looking for the crystal. They spent most of the day on their telephones, asking people if they had found it and trying to think of places where it could be. He finally came to the conclusion that these people would never be able to locate the crystal, if they hadn't done it by now. He sauntered toward the control room when it was nearly time for Professor Izono to go live on the air, waited for exactly three o'clock, and flicked a switch.

Instantly, everyone who was at their television had their energy extracted from them, zapping it straight through the airwaves. Then it was just a matter of pushing a few more buttons for the television waves that were traveling all over Tokyo to do the same to the people in the streets. He walked through each room of the television station, finding all the employees slumped over in their seats, moaning and empty of energy. Zoisite tried very hard not to erupt with laughter. This was going to be the most successful mission the Dark Kingdom had ever embarked upon.

Mamoru had a terrible feeling in his gut. He had spent all afternoon in the school library, working on a research paper. He looked around the library, which was usually very full of his fellow classmates at this time of day, but now it was empty. Bitterly, he realized that they were all probably watching that special report on the Silver Crystal. But something was still gnawing at him. Something very bad was happening.

He looked out the window and gasped. People were collapsing in the street. He realized right away that their energy was being taken away. Leaving his school things where they were, he rushed out of school.

Luna was on her special laptop, waiting for the girls to get out of school. The bell had rung ages ago, and yet there were no students coming out of school. And it seemed very quiet outside. Luna walked out of her hiding spot to see what was going on, and let out a meow of surprise when she saw school children falling to the ground, struggling to get to their feet and failing. She ran with her might to find someone, and eventually came across Ami, who was stumbling and holding her head as she walked.

"Ami-chan, what's happening?"  
>"I don't know," Ami said quietly, "I can barely keep myself up. Everyone is collapsing."<p>

"It must be the enemy," Luna realized, "This is a huge attack."

"I couldn't find Usagi-chan and the others," Ami said, "Do you think this is happening at Rei-chan's school too?"

"Most likely," Luna said, "Ami-chan, are you strong enough to make it to the arcade?"

"The arcade?" in her confusion, Ami felt a little of her strength return, "Why the arcade?"

"We need to go now," Luna said, dashing off. Ami struggled to keep up. It was hard for her to run, and she also had to avoid all the people on the street who were lying down, devoid of energy to move themselves.

Once they reached the arcade, Luna ran right to the Sailor V game and began speaking in a language Ami had never heard before. She had a very good grasp on languages, so she was certain that this language couldn't be from Earth, and therefore, probably came from the moon. When Luna finished her chant, the game lit up with a bright light, and stairs appeared in front of it, leading downward. Luna ran down them, and Ami, amazed, followed.

"No way!" Ami exclaimed when she saw what was below the arcade, "Luna, what is this place? What are all of these computers? It looks like a massive command center!"

"It is," Luna replied, rushing up to the biggest computer, "This has mostly been functioning as my lab. I've been researching all of you and the enemy here late at night. These computers are linked to the moon's main system."

"The moon's..." Ami let this information sink in, "There's a computer base on the moon as well?"

"Yes, yes," Luna said as she started quickly typing, "Right now I'm attempting to find the source of this attack. They must be sending out some kind of signal. What kind of place is big enough to send out a powerful, massive signal?"

"It's probably Tokyo Tower," Ami realized, thinking of the large radio tower that was constructed to closely resemble the Eiffel Tower, "Do a search on that."

"Is that it?" Luna asked. A map of the city appeared on the large screen, and Tokyo Tower was lit up.

"Yes!" Ami said, "The enemy is there! We have to get everyone there!"

Luna pushed another button and held it down, activating the communicators, "Usagi-chan, Rei-chan, Mako-chan, can you hear me? Can you..." Luna pushed it over and over, "The enemy's radio waves seem to be blocking the communicator's frequency. I can't get through to anyone."

"That does it, "Ami said resolutely, her strength fully returned, "I'm going out there and I'll find everyone myself!"

Usagi was stumbling over her feet. She felt as if her legs could barely hold her up. Once she managed to lift her eyes up, she saw other people in the street acting as she was. Most of them had already collapsed, which Usagi felt she was about to do at any moment. She turned down an alley to try to regain her strength. She knew that this had to be the enemy, it was the only explanation. She would have to act, but she didn't know what she could possibly do.

She fell, collapsing to the ground in a heap. She heard her homework and pencils tumble from her book bag, and noticed that her new wand had also fallen out. She tried to reach for it, but could only just barely move her fingers. Usagi closed her eyes, silently praying that someone would help her soon.

There were some loud footsteps approaching, someone was running. She managed to open her eyes a crack, and saw Mamoru Chiba looking down at her, gaping. She shut her eyes again, knowing that this was the last person she wanted to see at that moment. No doubt he was ridiculing her in his mind. Usagi wished that she would just die already.

But then that comfortable warmth returned. Someone was moving her body, picking her up off that ground. It was the same warmth she had felt whenever Tuxedo Kamen had his arms around her, and Usagi soon felt her strength returning to her. She wasn't surprised when she opened her eyes and was face to face with a white mask.

"Are you alright?" he whispered to her, stroking her face.

"Tuxedo Kamen," she whispered happily, but then remembered what he had been up to in the past few days. With her new-found strength she slid away from him, sitting near him but not close enough for him to touch her.

"What do you want from me?" she asked, "Are you the enemy or not? Why did you put that article in the newspaper?"

He removed his hat and hung his head, "I'm sorry. I've been so stupid. All of this is my fault."

"Do you even realize what you've done?" Usagi wanted to be mad at him, but it was very difficult. She cared about him far too much to ever truly blame him for the enemy's attack.

"Of course I do!" he said, irritated, "But this wasn't my intention at all. I have to find the Silver Crystal, I'm willing to do whatever it takes. But it's hard. I don't know anything about it. And I don't..." he paused, clenching his jaw, "I don't have powers like you do!"

Usagi gasped.

"I can't fix this problem I started," he waved his hand toward the collapsed people, "but Sailor Moon can."

"How do you know... you must have known, you came to my room... just who are you anyway?"

He removed the mask covering his eyes, and for the first time she got to look into both of his cool, blue eyes. They seemed very familiar, "Sailor Moon, you can do this. I know you can. You have to. Transform and help these people."

Usagi savored the look his eyes were giving her for a few more seconds, before resting a hand on her brooch and calling out, "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

Ami found Makoto near the school, and once she had her revived they rushed toward Rei's private school. They both thought it would be difficult to find her, since neither of them had been to her school before, but they discovered her in a hallway, kneeling and chanting a spell to ward off evil.

"I'm glad to see you guys," Rei said as she got to her feet, "I didn't know what to do."

"We still can't find Usagi-chan," Makoto said, "She could have made it home before the attack began. We should check."

"Wait," Ami put her watch to her ear, and she could faintly hear some static and Luna's voice, "Ami-chan? Can you hear me?"

"Luna!" Ami activated her communicator, "I can hear you!"

"What's happening out there?" Luna asked desperately.

"I've got Rei-chan and Mako-chan," Ami quickly said, "But no sign of Usagi-chan."

"There's no time," Luna sounded desperate, "You have to stop this attack before it's too late. Head to the television station right away. Transform and find the enemy!"

"But what about Usagi-chan?" Ami said worriedly.

"Well," Luna sighed, "We just have to hope that she's okay. Now hurry!"

The girls grabbed their pens out of their pockets.

"Mercury Power, Make Up!"

"Mars Power, Make Up!"

"Jupiter Power, Make Up!"

The sailor soldiers ran as fast as their heels could carry them toward the television station. The front desk and the security were all passed out, as well as the crew and staff. They searched room by room, and once they reached a large control room, they spotted a man with long, blond hair in the same uniform they had seen their other enemies in.

"We found you!" Sailor Mercury declared, "Change everyone back right now!"

Without a word, the enemy disappeared, transporting back to his base.

"Great!" Sailor Mars said, throwing her hands in the air, "Now what do we do?"

Jupiter was looking around, "Do you think the enemy did something with these buttons? But which one do we push?"

They both looked at Mercury, who shrugged, "Hey, I'm not that much of a genius! How would I know what button does what?"

Sailor Jupiter sighed, "I wish Usagi-chan were here."

Sailor Moon removed her red goggles and looked out at all the people who had fainted. There was no way she could go person to person, and try to help them all individually. Plus there were people in stopped cars, and in all the buildings... what could she possibly do?

She felt tears of frustration well up in her. Never before had she felt so powerless over anything. All the attacks that her and her friends could do were useless now. Luna would probably be able to tell her what to do, but she had no idea where her cat was. She wrapped her arms around herself and shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to start wailing.

She was pulled into a hug. Tuxedo Kamen held her tightly, resting her head against his chest. He whispered to her, "Sailor Moon, I know you can do it. Don't give up. You are so powerful, you have to be the one to help these people."

Usagi stared at the ground as she leaned against Tuxedo Kamen, and spotted her new wand. It seemed to have a faint glow around it. She remembered what happened when Sailor V used the same wand in the video game. Could she possibly do the same? She reached down to pick it up, and could feel it practically vibrate with power. It wanted her to use it.

She looked at Tuxedo Kamen again, and he gave her a handsome, confident smile.

Holding out the wand in front of her, Usagi wished with all her might that the people would return to their normal selves. Instantly a wave of sparkling light emitted from the moon on her wand, and cascaded down the street and beyond. It was difficult to maintain that power, and Usagi had to strain every muscle to keep it going. It must have been about five minutes, when Usagi was shaking with strain and exhaustion, when she heard the city start to come back to life. People were talking and roaming the sidewalk, cars were driving by, and the strange feeling of dread that had settled everywhere seemed to dissipate.

Usagi relaxed, and the light vanished. Now her body was more tired than ever, and she felt herself fainting. She sank to her knees.

"Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kamen called out as he called her, "Are you alright?"

"I'm..." she could barely talk, "Sleepy, I can't... I..."

Tuxedo Kamen spoke in his gentle, soothing voice, "Looks like you used up all the strength you had. But you saved everyone. You did it. I knew you could. You did so well, Sailor Moon," he gave her a peck on her cheek before lifting her up and carrying her away in his arms. She didn't care where she was going, all that she knew was that she was safe, and warm, and protected. That warmth was bringing her some strength back, and she could feel herself falling asleep. She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not, but she started remembering feeling that warmth in a distant memory, a memory that was so old, she didn't know when it could possibly have happened.

She was having the same dream... the clouds were all around her, and that man was approaching, calling her name that wasn't her name out to her...

When she opened her eyes, she felt bewildered. The warmth of Tuxedo Kamen was still wrapped around her, but she was in a bed. A strange bed. She sat up, feeling groggy, and observed her surroundings. She appeared to be in an apartment, but she had never seen it in her life. It was very neat and minimal, and had a sort of masculine scent to it. She sat up a little more and found a strange pocket watch on the pillow next to her. The face was cracked, and it didn't work at all.

She realized she was still in her Sailor Moon outfit, and she placed her hand over her brooch and willed the power in it to change her back. The magic washed over her again, and she was back in her school uniform.

That was when she remembered that Tuxedo Kamen knew who she was, and had seen her transform. She felt a little frightened. How did he find out about her? Who was he? She knew he wasn't the enemy, it was impossible to think that now. But why was he doing all of this? Why was he helping her?

The door to the bedroom clicked open, and a man's voice asked, "Are you awake yet?"

Usagi's eyes went wide, and her jaw slowly dropped. In walked Mamoru Chiba, dressed in a tuxedo without a jacket which, despite that, looked exactly like Tuxedo Kamen's. His blue eyes stared back at her.


	8. Act 7: Mamoru

Act 7: Mamoru

"Um," Usagi crawled out of the bed, "Where are we?"

"My place," he said nonchalantly.

"Why am I in your bed?" she said a little fearfully.

He smiled a little, "Don't you remember?"

That was when she finally noticed it. Sitting in a chair near the bed lay a black cloak, top hat and white mask. She nearly screamed. Instead, she just stared dumbly at the mask, putting the pieces together in her head.

"After you collapsed," Mamoru continued, as if nothing was happening, "you fell asleep, so I just put you in my bed. I had nowhere else to put you, so..." he let his sentence hang.

Usagi slowly crept over to the mask, holding it delicately in her hands. Then she walked over to Mamoru and held it up against his face.

"How come I didn't realize it was you?" she asked in a voice so quiet it was barely audible. Her heart was pounding in her ears.

He didn't reply. He just smiled and took the mask from her hands, giving her hands a small squeeze before letting them go.

"Why do you do this?" Usagi asked, getting her voice back, "I didn't really have a choice being Sailor Moon. Why do you want to do this too?"

His smile faded, and he tossed the mask to the ground, "I need to find the Silver Crystal, that's all I know."

"But why?" Usagi asked, "If you don't even know what it is..."

"It will help me regain my memory."

She was stunned, "Your... memory?"

He didn't look at her as he explained, "On my sixth birthday, my parents were going to take me up to the mountains. They lost control of the car... you know, I don't even remember the accident, or anything about my early childhood, actually. I remember the moment before the car pitched off the cliff, and the next thing I know I'm waking up from a coma in the hospital. The doctor sat down and told me my parents were dead... but I didn't even remember my parents. Even looking at pictures of them, they're like strangers. I didn't even remember my own name. They said I was named Mamoru Chiba... but how am I to know that for certain? And ever since then, my brain damage has kept me from having a normal life. I had to relearn almost everything, from how to walk and eat and dress myself, to reading and writing. But the hardest part was distinguishing reality from fantasy. That took a lot of work, and once I was sure I had everything right with my brain, I started having these dreams. This woman with long hair would call out to me, begging me to find the Silver Crystal. I know it's just a dream, but oddly enough, it feels more real to me than anything. I knew that if I found it, my brain would be fixed, I would remember what my parents looked like, and everything would be perfect. For a while I started going into these trances, and I would wander the streets wearing a tuxedo. Eventually I started getting a grip on this habit, but only in the past few weeks. Before that I would just wander around like a sleepwalker, searching for the only clue to my memory, the Silver Crystal."

Usagi didn't know what to say, or do. She felt she should say sorry for the loss of his parents, and give her condolences. But the news about how Tuxedo Kamen was so shocking, that all she could reply to his monologue with was, "Oh."

He met her gaze, "How about you?"

She was so lost in thought that she had to take a moment to let his question sink in, "Huh?"

"Well, you're also looking for the Silver Crystal. Why?"

"Oh," she almost felt scared to say an entire sentence, "I don't... really know. Luna just told me that I had to find it and protect it, so..." she didn't know what else to say.

"I see," he kept smiling a gentle grin at her, and the longer she kept looking into his eyes, the more comfortable she felt.

She wondered just what she was supposed to do now. The two of them didn't have any secrets between them anymore. She wanted to trust him, but there was still that small shred of doubt that Luna had planted about him. His actions had been erratic and unpredictable. But now that she knew everything, and his entire back story and motives, she knew that he shouldn't be a threat to them at all. And besides, this was the same man who had held her tightly so many times, danced with her, and gave her her first kiss. She was in love with Tuxedo Kamen, and therefore, she was also in love with Mamoru Chiba. That notion scared her more than anything, especially since they were alone in his apartment, staring at each other. She realized then that they had been standing there silently for a very long time, not saying a word or moving a muscle. And, surprisingly, Usagi didn't mind. In fact, she could have stayed that way for a very long time and be more than happy. If only time would stop so that they could always be in this moment.

But it didn't. And it would have to end at some point, and he wasn't going to make the first move. She would have to do something about it. Not wanting to, she broke his gaze, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she said, "Um, I should be going. Luna is probably wondering where I am. Thanks for..." she gestured toward the bed, but didn't have any words to describe what had happened that day. So she just bowed a little, and made her way toward the door.

Very suddenly he was behind her, and he rested his hand on her shoulder as he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Hey, Usako."

Her heart stopped.

"Don't forget your book bag," he reached down and handed it to her, smiling innocently. She just nodded, grabbed the bag close to her chest, and walked away.

Once she was outside, she recognized her surroundings instantly. She was in a building that was near Mako-chan's place, so she knew how to get home from there. She was thankful, because now she could lose herself in her thoughts instead of worry about where she was going.

She couldn't believe that he called her 'Usako', which was a very intimate nickname for him to give her. Certainly it was better than 'dumpling head'. She smiled as she wondered what his nickname would be. Probably 'Mamo-chan', she realized with a giggle.

Something didn't feel right; her skirt seemed heavy. She reached into her pocket and was surprised to find the broken watch. Somehow it must have got caught in there when she transformed back into her clothes. She ran her fingers over the face of the watch, smiling. It seemed perfect that he would hold on to something like this, since it fit his personality perfectly. Gently, she gave the watch a little kiss, sending her love to him.

He was watching her leave from the window, wishing that he had said something to make her stay longer. He removed her handkerchief from his pocket, reading her embroidered name over and over. It still smelled of the wine she had cleaned up, which reminded him of the taste of her lips upon his.

He pressed the handkerchief to his lips, wishing to kiss her once again.

Luna was thrilled to see Usagi drift through the front door. She followed her upstairs, and once she had flopped down on her bed, Luna said, "Usagi-chan, you did it! You managed to figure out how to use the Moon Stick on your own, and you were magnificent! The city is back to normal, nobody has noticed that anything happened, and... what's up?"

Usagi was just staring at the ceiling and gently smiling.

"Usagi-chan," Luna sat on her stomach, "Are you alright?"

"Me?" she sat up a little, "Oh, yeah, of course Luna. I'm fine. I'm just tired after what happened today. Could I just be alone for a bit?"

"Alright," Luna said, jumping toward the window, "I have things to do anyway, I won't be back until early in the morning."

"Okay," Usagi snuggled into her pillow.

"And you do know that your friends are home safe. They found the enemy at the television station but he disappeared."

"Good."

"They're worried about you."

"I'll see them tomorrow."

"Usagi-chan..."

"Luna, please."

The cat gave up, and jumped into a tree and climbed down, making her way toward the arcade.

Setting up the connection in the control room was difficult, and took a few hours to hone the frequency just right. The picture was still staticky, and her contact was just a blur, but it was better than nothing.

"This is Luna, reporting," she said officially, "The sailor soldiers have awakened, and things are going according to plan."

"Good," the female voice was full of static as well, "But they haven't fully awakened yet, obviously."

"No," Luna shook her head, "They are still amateurs, but at least they have their powers. It's just their memories that haven't awakened now."

"I see," her contact on the moon said, "Continue."

"Well, the main problem is with Sailor Moon," Luna said sadly, "Today she did splendidly, but overall she's lacking as a soldier. She isn't quite up to par with the rest of them. But they have only been awakened for such a short time. Soon they will be fine soldiers, I'm sure of it."

"When is soon, Luna?" said the voice, "The enemy is gaining power. Their move today was just the start of many more attacks they are planning. The people of Earth are at risk. The soldiers need to awaken as soon as possible. Especially Sailor Moon."

Zoisite was staring blankly at his televisions, going over the events of the day. He was furious that the sailor soldiers had found him so quickly, and that Sailor Moon had fixed all the damage with just a wave of a magic wand. It wasn't fair. The sailor soldiers had one up on them somehow.

Kunzite was at his side, and could practically read his mind, "You think they already have the crystal, don't you?"

"I certainly hope not!" Zoisite shuddered, "But Sailor Moon does seem to possess something powerful. She managed to heal everyone so quickly. If not the crystal, what could it be?"

Kunzite shrugged.

"Do you think Queen Beryl would know?"

Kunzite waved his hand, shutting all the televisions off with his telekinesis, "Why do you think that?"

"Queen Beryl knows things that we don't. She doesn't tell us everything. Maybe she would know what to do next."

"Ask her then," Kunzite shrugged.

Zoisite shook his head, "After what happened today? I don't think so. Besides, I'm already working on another plot. You go ask her, you have a better rapport with her anyway."

"Fine," Kunzite said, leaving his student in peace. He went toward her throne room, which was empty. Even her crystal ball had been set aside. There was only one other place she would be, and Kunzite knew better to go there. He left his queen in peace.

Queen Beryl had descended down the huge, stone steps leading far below the castle. Then she had to travel through the network of pitch dark caves before arriving at the massive, stone doors. Only the words of summoning in the old Silver Millennium language would open them, and once she was through the gate she entered the real throne room of the Dark Kingdom.

She knelt to the ground, "Great ruler, Queen Metallia, awaken. I have an offering for you, a small but powerful amount of energy that was collected today from the humans," she held out her hands, donating the tiny amount of energy that Zoisite had managed to collect from the human televisions.

A massive dark shadow rose from the ground, responding to the energy. Two white eyes shone from it as it spoke in a raspy voice, "Energy... but it is not enough. I need the energy from the Silver Crystal. Do you have it?"

"Queen Metallia, my generals have been searching the entire planet. The only place that is left is a city in Japan, called Tokyo."

"I can feel its power," said Queen Metallia, "Even though I am far below the Earth, I know it is on the surface. It is there."

"And we will have it soon, I assure you," Beryl said a little hastily, "There are some complications in our way. Sailor soldiers have appeared, and it's possible that they may have already found the crystal..."

"What is this?" Queen Metallia interrupted, "Sailor soldiers? Those were the agents from that infernal kingdom that buried me here so long ago. Have they been resurrected? Are they going to seal me away again? Beryl, you must not let that happen. Especially if the princess has been re-awakened. Beryl, you must crush them! Get the crystal away from them! When we have it I can myself revive, and then I will finally control this planet. But I must have the crystal. Then will come the time that my reign will truly begin."

With her energy fading, Queen Metallia disappeared into nothingness, absorbed back into her seal underground. Queen Beryl stood and slowly left the throne room, thinking hard

Queen Metallia had been darker and more massive than ever before. Beryl knew that, when she reached her full potential, Queen Metallia's darkness would cover the entire planet. And it would all be her fault.

It didn't seem so long ago since Beryl stumbled upon these secret caverns and discovered the Dark Kingdom castle. Then, using her own powers, she broke the seal binding Queen Metallia to the Earth, reviving the Dark Kingdom once again. It was only after that happened that Beryl realized she was only a pawn, and would be discarded once Queen Metallia took control. But Queen Metallia was currently helpless; she was nothing without the Silver Crystal or any form of energy. Beryl smiled to herself. Once she found the crystal, she wouldn't give it to her queen. She would keep it, and rule over the planet herself. She would be queen of the Earth... and, she hoped, fulfill her deepest wish and control the Moon Kingdom as well.

She burst into Zoisite's chambers, "Zoisite, I must speak to you!"

Zoisite jumped to his feet, "Queen Beryl, I humbly apologize over the incident that occurred...

"Zoisite," Beryl was grinning, still lost in her fantasies, "Think about it. Sailor Moon must know who has the crystal, if she isn't carrying it herself. I trust you have a plan that will help support this theory?"

Zoisite grinned, "Absolutely I do."

Naru walked into the video store, and was thrilled to see Yumiko and Kuri there as well, "What are you guys up to?"

"Renting a DVD of course," Yumiko smiled, "Why else would we be here?"

"What are you gonna watch?" Kuri asked, "Doesn't Usagi-chan usually pick the movie?"

Naru frowned, "Yeah, about that. I've been calling Usagi-chan, and she either doesn't pick up or she says she's busy. So tonight I'm on my own. Maybe I'll get something that my little sister will like too."

"Well, you're in the right place," Kuri smiled, "This video chain popped up overnight. Like, literally. But they have a huge selection. Seriously, Dark Rentals is the best movie rental place I've ever been to."

Naru, Yumiko and Kuri might have fallen for it, but Rei knew better. When a Dark Rentals appeared by her shrine nearly a day after the enemy's attack, she felt suspicious. She went to look around that night and investigate, and managed to overhear a couple near the store.

"I don't know where this chain came from, but they have a great video selection. I have to decide if I want to go to the Dark Rentals near my school, near my work, or near my house! They're everywhere!"

"Yeah, it's a blast. I rented four movies from there last night, and I stayed up all night watching them. At least it's keeping me from watching those news reports about the Silver Crystal."

"Oh, right! The new rumor is that Sailor Moon is hiding it."

"Sailor Moon, huh? I'm not a fan. What's up with her hair?"

The two went inside the shop, and Rei analyzed the shop. It looked legit, but she felt in her gut that something wasn't right about it at all. There was something evil emanating from the store, and she knew she would have to let Luna know as soon as possible.

"Lunchtime! Lunchtime!" Usagi sang, "Mako-chan, what did you bring for us today?"

Makoto smiled proudly as she passed out her homemade lunches, "Fruit sandwiches. I recommend the strawberry."

"Yum!" Usagi said, happily taking her lunch. But Ami had Luna's laptop in front of her, and she was typing away.

"Ami-chan, did you not hear that it is lunchtime?" Usagi said, sidling up to her friend, "Mako-chan made food."

"I'm just looking up some information," Ami said, "I've been going through Luna's files in the control room, and I decided to let her have a break from some researching and take some up on my own. Right now I'm looking up Sailor V."

"Awesome," Usagi smiled, "She's the best. What do you have on her?"

"Not a lot," Ami frowned, "No DNA matches, no police record, and no background information. All we know is that there were hundreds of sightings of her in the past year around Tokyo, but she virtually disappeared once Sailor Moon began making appearances."

Ami pulled up one of the few rare photographs of Sailor V and enhanced it, "She has goggles like you Usagi-chan, but she keeps them on when she fights crime. The similarities between you two don't stop there. Look, similar outfits, same hair color and length, she's even been spotted with a cat, except its white."

"But look," Makoto pointed to Sailor V's forehead, "She doesn't have a tiara, she has a crescent moon like Luna has."

"Whoa, you're right," Usagi leaned in closer, "I never noticed that before. Do you think it has something to do with the Moon Kingdom Luna was talking about?"

"Do you really think so?" Makoto asked, "Luna said that she doesn't feel any vibes from her."

Ami set aside the laptop, "I think Usagi-chan might have a point. Besides, I think there's a reason Usagi-chan keeps bringing up Sailor V. She can probably sense something that we don't," she looked at Usagi, who seemed flabbergasted, but continued, "Luna said that our awakening isn't complete, but after what happened the other day, I believe that Usagi-chan is awakening faster than us. That wand Luna gave you, Usagi-chan, is extremely powerful, and the way you used it practically cemented your position as our leader. Your powers are clearly different and far greater than ours."

"You think I have special powers?" Usagi said, "I mean, well, I guess I did heal everybody. But I had..." she stopped herself before she admitted that Tuxedo Kamen was there. So she just shrugged. Ami started on her lunch, and she and Makoto started talking about some cute thing that Furu-chan said the other day, and Usagi withdrew into herself.

She still had yet to tell them or Luna that she knew who Tuxedo Kamen was. And, of course, she hadn't told anyone that the only reason she saved everyone was due to his help. But it would be a disaster if she did say anything. Luna would be furious, and she would probably be forbidden from ever seeing him again. And the thought of that made her heart ache terribly. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to recreate the warmth of his embrace. She desperately wanted to see him again, but she didn't know how it would occur with all this secrecy. In time, it would all come out. But she knew that, for now, it would have to remain her secret.

"What are you guys talking about?" Umino's voice interrupted her thoughts. To her horror, Umino picked up the laptop and started reading the screen. The other two girls were also frozen, not sure what to do.

"Oh," Umino smiled, "You're just looking up info about Sailor V? Believe me, there's not a lot out there, you've pretty much got all that you can find. But she was _so _last year, you guys should be researching Sailor Moon!" he grinned right at Usagi.

She was put on the spot, "Oh. Yeah. Sailor Moon! I mean. Yeah. Her."

"Well, good luck," he put down the laptop and rubbed his hands together, "Because I'm going to find her first. I'm gonna be the first person to really meet Sailor Moon!" and he walked off, giggling to himself.

Usagi put a hand over her heart, "After everything I've been through in the past few weeks, that was the scariest moment of my life."

"What a creeper," Makoto shuddered.

"You tell me," came another surprise voice, and Luna emerged from a bush, "He seemed really passionate about Sailor Moon."

"Did you see him?" Usagi asked her cat, "He was starting to go a little nuts. How am I supposed to sleep now that I know there are people like him who think about Sailor Moon like that?"

"I haven't seen you around school recently," Makoto said to Luna, "Where have you been?"

"The control room," Luna sighed, "I've been holed up underground, working. I decided to take a break. Usagi-chan, I went looking for you in Naru-chan's lunch circle, but you weren't there. Don't you normally eat with her?"

Usagi sighed, "Yeah, but she's been so different recently. I know she calls me a lot after school, but today she wasn't even talking to me."

"Rei-chan told me something interesting over the communicator. She spotted a few of your classmates, including Naru-chan, at this place called Dark Rentals. She said she got a bad feeling from it, and that it could possibly be another front for the enemy."

"What do we do?" Usagi asked.

"Sneak me into your classroom. I want to see something."

So after lunch, Usagi carefully carried Luna into the room, grateful that nobody spotted them. Her classmates did seem a little distracted anyway; they were staring vacantly into space. When the math lesson began, Luna crept under the desks, sensing something amiss. She tried peeking into different book bags, and sure enough, she found a few DVDs from Dark Rentals in them. She went to Naru's desk and managed to quietly open it without anyone noticing. She located a DVD, and quietly snuck back over to Usagi's desk, feeling victorious.

"Hi Furu-chan!" Usagi greeted as she entered the arcade, with Ami blushing at her side.

"Hi girls," he smiled back, "Looks like today you might be the only customers."

"What? Why?" Usagi asked.

He shrugged, "Must be those new DVD rental stores, everyone is at home watching movies."

"Oh, tell me about it," Usagi struck up a conversation, "You wouldn't believe how busy I have been. Like seriously, I haven't even been to the movies since..."

"Usagi-chan!" Ami called out, "We don't have a lot of time, remember? Let's play Sailor V."

"Oh, right," Usagi dashed off toward her friend.

"You weren't flirting with him, were you?" Ami whispered.

"No!" Usagi tried whispering quietly, but it was difficult, "Don't be jealous."

"I'm not," Ami grinned, "I lucked out when Mako-chan got the short straw and wound up investigating with Rei-chan. I'd rather be near the control center anyway."

"Right," Usagi winked, "You want to be near the _control center_."

"Girls," Luna said, clearing her throat, "To business. I have a DVD, let's watch it."

"Where?" Usagi blinked.

Luna nodded toward a slot in the video game machine, "It should work in there."

"What can't this thing do?" Usagi said as she inserted the DVD.

"Well, it's connected to our basement room, so there's plenty..." Luna was interrupted when the game screen flashed with brilliant lights and emitted a loud white noise, making the girls scream. The DVD ejected quickly.

"Just as I thought," Luna nodded, "This isn't a movie at all. I bet it's the enemy!"

"Who cares!" Usagi wailed, "What happened to the game?"

The screen had gone fuzzy, and it looked broken beyond repair. Just as Usagi felt she was going to cry, a pixelated Sailor V appeared on the screen, and began talking, "What are you waiting for, Sailor Moon? That was a brainwash video made by the enemy, and they're all over town. By nightfall, they're all going to become slaves of the enemy! Their lives are in danger!"

Usagi couldn't believe her eyes and ears. Sailor V was talking to her. She was about to speak back when the screen went blank again, "Wait! Sailor V, come back!"

Ami opened the machine and flicked the secret switch that activated the control room stairs, "I'll be down here, keeping an eye out for you guys. Get Rei-chan and Mako-chan. Hurry, before nightfall!"

"Right!" Usagi dashed off, and Ami raced down the stairs, transforming on the way.

"Here," Luna nudged a pair of large, clear glasses at her, "You can probably use this to decipher the message in the video."

"Sounds good," she put them on, inserted the DVD into the main computer, and soon a message appeared in the flashing lights and spoke in the white noise, "You must find Sailor Moon! She holds the Silver Crystal. Bring her alive to the Dark Kingdom, and offer her as a sacrifice to our great ruler!"

Ami suddenly felt very weak in the knees, and nearly collapsed, grabbing the computer for balance, "Luna, it's sucking away my energy!"

Luna acted quickly, ejecting the DVD before Ami could be hurt, "Did I hear it correctly? Did it say the Dark Kingdom?"

"It did," Ami said, taking off the glasses, "Why would they possibly want to use people as their servants?"

"Didn't you hear?" Luna said, and she pushed the communicator button, "Usagi-chan, be careful! The zombies tonight will be looking for _you_!"

There was nothing she could do but wait. Sailor Moon hid near a pier, waiting for just the right moment. She watched the public walking around, perfectly normal. Then, as the sun slowly set, everyone's movements became sluggish, and soon their eyes were glowing white. They desperately started running around, calling out, "Find Sailor Moon! Find Sailor Moon!"

She stepped out of hiding in her full costume, "Here I am! The sailor-suited pretty soldier of love and justice, Sailor Moon!"

The zombie crowd began to advance on her, but she was prepared. She held out the Moon Stick and cried out, "Moon Healing Escalation!" while exerting her energy through the wand. The white light lit up the evening, and once again washed over the people of Tokyo, and soon they were back to normal.

She was tired, but not as wiped out as she was the first time she used the Moon Stick. And she was thankful, because the enemy appeared behind her, hovering in mid-air. He was a man with long hair tied back in a blond ponytail, "Well Sailor Moon, we meet at last."

"You!" Usagi called out, feeling her blood pumping and her adrenaline racing, "I won't let you use people's recreational time for evil! I am Sailor Moon, and in the name of the moon, I will punish you! Moon Twilight Flash!"

Right when she shone the light of her tiara on the enemy, he disappeared. Usagi looked around frantically, and called out, "Okay guys, I need backup! The enemy disappeared and could be anywhere, we..." she couldn't finish her sentence, because the enemy reappeared at her side and grabbed her, choking her with one arm. Usagi cried to scream, but she could hardly breathe.

"Tell me! Where is the Silver Crystal?" Zoisite demanded.

"I... don't... know!" Usagi croaked out.

"_Akuryo taisan!_"

"Supreme Thunder!"

Mars and Jupiter, her backup, attacked, combining their powers. But Zoisite created a bubble of energy around himself and Sailor Moon, and deflected the double attack back at the sailor soldiers. Mars and Jupiter were thrown off their feet, landing on the hard cement with a thud. Ami and Luna screamed from the control room as they watched on the monitor.

Usagi shut her eyes, desperate for air, and willed with all her might that Tuxedo Kamen would appear. She had kept his watch on her, hoping to use it as some sort of talisman to summon him. But he didn't come. Usagi's vision was going black.

Tuxedo Kamen was, in fact, doing his best to rush to her side. But Zoisite had put up a large barrier around them, trapping whoever was at the pier inside his force field. He threw himself at the invisible wall, but was thrown back every time. He watched frantically as Sailor Moon began slowly slipping from consciousness. He cried out with frustration, "Usako, no!"

Annoyed, Zoisite threw Sailor Moon down at his feet. She grabbed her throat, coughing violently. But she gasped when she looked up and saw that her enemy's hands had morphed into pointy knives, and they were rushing down at her. Usagi squeezed her eyes shut and screamed, knowing she would die.

But Zoisite cried out in pain. Usagi looked up to see that a white cat had jumped on the enemy, clawing at his face. Confused, Usagi began to make her way to her feet, until she heard a female voice cry out, "Sailor Moon, get down right now!"

Without hesitation she obeyed. The cat leaped from the enemy, and a sharp, crescent-shaped boomerang whizzed over Usagi's head, slicing the enemy in many pieces. He screamed as he tried to pick up his severed arm and legs, and vanished just as his head rolled off his shoulders.

Usagi looked up at her savior and couldn't believe her eyes. It was a girl in a sailor outfit that resembled her own, with long, flowing blond hair.


	9. Act 8: Sailor V

Act 8: Sailor V

"Oh my God, you're Sailor V!" Makoto broke the silence.

Usagi's vision came back into focus, and she could see Sailor V more clearly. They did look similar, except that her skirt and sailor collar were gold, and instead of buns on top of her head, she had tied back her hair with a red bow. Around her waist was a glittering gold chain, like a lasso. And on her forehead, instead of a tiara, was a crescent moon identical to Luna's. The more she stared at that crescent moon shape, the warmer Usagi's tiara became. She reached up to touch it, to feel what was going on, and discovered that it had morphed into a large, crescent moon shaped tiara with a gem in the middle.

"Sailor V?" Rei said hesitantly as she stood up, "Is it really you? You just look so different than we're used to."

She smiled and said, "Oh, yeah," and retrieved her red goggles, "I'm usually wearing my mask, right?"

"My gosh," Usagi gasped, truly recognizing her idol, "It is you, V."

"So informal," the white cat spoke up, and judging by the sound of his voice, he was male, "Don't call her that. She may be Sailor V, but more importantly, she's the heiress to the Moon Kingdom of Silver Millennium and the rightful owner of the Silver Crystal, Princess Serenity."

Usagi was stunned. The shock of meeting Sailor V faded instantly when she realized that she had finally found the princess. And now she realized the significance of that mark on her forehead. Obviously it was the symbol of the Moon Kingdom.

The princess looked around cautiously, "Someone that doesn't belong is here. You!" she tore off the chain around her waist, turned around, and whipped it violently. It struck the remainder of the force field, making a sizzling sound, which made everyone, including Tuxedo Kamen, jump. He stared at the princess in awe for a moment before running away.

As he ran, Mamoru removed his mask and wanted to throw it into the ocean. He was furious that he couldn't protect Usagi, and nearly watched her die right in front of him. But he had also finally seen the princess that Sailor Moon had been searching for. He felt certain that it had to be Princess Serenity that was haunting his dreams all this time. He must have run a mile before he finally stopped to take a breath. When he closed his eyes, all he could see was Sailor Moon being tossed to the ground and nearly stabbed to death. He could see the fear in her eyes as if it were happening all over again. He had to reassure himself that those images were in his head, and they weren't real anymore. But they were going to stay with him forever, like a tattoo on his scarred brain. He made a vow to himself to never let Sailor Moon, his Usako, face that kind of danger ever again. He didn't want her that close to death. He would rather die than see her hurt.

Usagi was trying desperately to figure out what to think first. Was she relieved that she wasn't dead? Was she excited to meet Sailor V? Was she amazed that the princess had been found, and that she was safe? Or was she scared for Tuxedo Kamen, and curious as to what was going on with him?

"Sailor Moon," the princess nodded at her, "You've been doing a really great job."

"R-really?" Usagi stuttered, amazed.

"It's nice to finally be able to speak to you, instead of trying to contact you through the game. To me you're like an old friend," Sailor V smiled.

"You... the game... I..." Usagi was at a complete loss for words.

"And my soldiers," the princess reached out and shook Makoto's hand, and the instant she did so, Makoto's face glazed over. The same happened when she shook Rei's hand.

"Sorry," Rei apologized, "I just feel like I had some serious deja vu. I saw... something."

"I'm trying to help you remember," she explained, "And you will have to remember quickly."

"Remember what?" Makoto asked.

"Your past lives."

Usagi's communicator beeped, "Sailor Moon, come in!"

"Luna, I hear you," Usagi answered.

"Oh Luna," Sailor V smiled, "She must be in the control room, right? Let's all go there, it will be much safer."

Sailor V took out her pen, waving it around, and her clothes morphed into a regular school girl outfit. The moon on her forehead vanished. Usagi gasped; even though she didn't know the name of the school, she recognized the uniform. Sailor V had been around them all this time. V caught Sailor Moon's eye and winked, "This is my Earth form. My name is Minako Aino. I'm in eighth grade, just like all you guys. Shall we?"

The four girls entered the control room in their regular clothes, and Ami and Luna rushed to greet them.

"Princess," Luna bowed her head, "Forgive me for not coming to greet you immediately."

Minako shrugged, "It's fine Luna, don't worry. You were busy doing your job from here, and you did great," she looked around their command center and smiled, "Man, I haven't been here for a long time. It feels really good to be back."

Ami quietly spoke up, "Sailor V, I mean, princess... we've been looking for you for quite a while. If we knew that you were the princess, after all this time... and if you knew who we were, why didn't you seek us out earlier?"

"Mercury," Minako smiled at her new friend, "The brains of the operation, right? Let me see, where should I begin?"

She took a deep breath before she continued, "First of all, I met Artemis the cat nearly a year ago," she paused to pet her companion's head, "That was obviously a long time before you guys awakened, so I was on my own. I went around Tokyo at night, solving crimes and noting down strange occurrences. It wasn't that I awakened early, you guys and Luna awoke so late, after I had done so much research already. I wish we could have met sooner too, it would have been awesome. But I kept gathering information, and I seemed to notice something, like a large shadow looming over all the events I had witnessed. I realized that it wasn't the work of humans at all, but things much more sinister. I soon discovered that it was, in fact, the work of the Dark Kingdom. They are... a terrible enemy. Their leader is made out of pure evil, born from darkness. It's not like anything else on this planet. It wanted to gain power, and knew that the best way would be to obtain the power of the Moon Kingdom's holy stone, the Silver Crystal. Now it's setting its sights on the planet Earth, and its destruction. It is using human energy as a power source to keep it alive, which is why they've been targeting humans this whole time."

"How did you find out all this?" Rei interrupted, "Princess, have you seen this thing?"

Minako smiled sadly, "A very long time ago, yes. Because of it, the Moon Kingdom was destroyed. It ended the era known as the Silver Millennium. All of the happiness in that place was just... gone. That thing should have been buried, but somebody or something cracked open the seal, so it can repeat its gruesome takeover. So you guys have to understand this," she put on a very serious look, appearing regal, "We cannot let the past repeat itself. Your mission is to seal away this enemy for good."

They nodded, and Makoto said, "I get it. Our powers returned because the enemy returned. And now we are soldiers once again."

"Where is the crystal?" Ami asked.

Minako looked down at the ground, "Hidden. It's somewhere safe, in a place only I know, so that it can be protected. That way we don't have to worry about the enemy getting its hands on it. They are going to target us to find the crystal, so we are going to have to fight them. As long as the crystal and I are on our side, we will win. And now," her serious face transformed back to her casual one, "It's really late. We should be getting home. I'm sure I'm not the only one with school tomorrow."

They said good night and went their separate ways. The four soldiers walked home with some mixed feelings, and strange memories. Usagi was glad that the princess had finally been found, but something still didn't feel so right. It seemed that the princess was more protective of them, instead of the other way around. Makoto scratched her head as she walked, because her vague memories of the princess seemed to clash with what she knew. The princess had been more like one of them, by their side, fighting. Ami couldn't stop wondering why the princess couldn't trust them with the location of the crystal, and as Rei went to bed, she kept repeating the words 'Princess Serenity' in her mind, and it felt so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

The man was there, calling out to her. But this time, she could understand the name he was calling her.

"Serenity!" he said, as if he were desperate to find her, "Serenity!"

Usagi made her way through the clouds toward the man, but he suddenly screamed and stumbled, and she knew he was dying. She reached out her hand and cried out, "Endymion!"

She woke up so fast that she sprang up off her pillow, trying her best not to scream. She took some deep breaths, looking around her room and telling herself that it was just a dream. She rubbed her eyes, wondering why that man was calling her 'Serenity'. And equally so, why did she call him 'Endymion'? She had never heard that name before in her life. Her bizarre dream had become even stranger.

She checked her alarm clock and stared in amazement. It was only six in the morning. Even Luna was still fast asleep at her feet. Usagi had never been wide awake before dawn in her whole life. Feeling a little odd, she climbed out of bed to get ready for her day.

Once she was fully dressed in her school uniform, she went downstairs and saw her Dad getting ready for his early morning jog. He almost dropped his water bottle when he saw her, "Usagi? Is something wrong? Why are you awake and dressed so early?"

Usagi remembered Sailor V turning into Minako Aino before her eyes, and grinned, "Well Dad, the real Usagi up until now was just my Earth form."

"Oh, is that so?" Kenji played along, "So who are you now? What is your true form?"

She tried very hard not to laugh as she said, "I'm the soldier of love and justice, Sailor Moon!"

Kenji stared for a second before smiling, "Oh, is that why you're up early, Sailor Moon? To go fight some crime?"

"But it's true!" Usagi insisted, "I am both Usagi and Sailor Moon!"

"Alright alright," he laughed, "If you say so. How about some breakfast, I never get to make it for you on a school day," he went to the kitchen, leaving a stunned Usagi on the stairs. She felt a little disappointed that he didn't believe her. But it left a new question floating in her mind. Since she was both Usagi and Sailor Moon, which one was her true self? Was she really the person she was born as, or the person she was supposed to be?

She left early for school. Instead of taking her quick route by cutting behind people's houses, she went the long, scenic route. She got to see much more of the city, and it was bustling in the early hours of the morning. She started to walk through one of her favorite places, Ichinohashi Park, when she spotted someone sitting on a bench. She gasped, it was Mamoru Chiba. He looked up at her through his glasses at that very moment, shutting the book he was reading.

"M-morning," she smiled him, feeling nervous.

"Yeah, good morning," he greeted, rather gruffly.

Usagi noticed what he was reading; it was an encyclopedia of crystals. He also had a small stack of books beside him, all having to do with gem stones and crystals. She hesitated, wondering if she should tell him what she now knew about the crystal's hidden location, and didn't know what to do.

Mamoru took off his glasses at looked up at her again. Now when he saw her face, he could only see that look of terror when she was about to die. He could still hear her screaming in his ears. He looked away and tried to smile to cover up his worry, "You know, sometimes I feel like I don't know what to do about you, Usako. Even when I don't want to see you, we run into each other. It must be fate. We are destined to meet, right?" he looked at her again, and was relieved to see her smiling and blushing.

"Yeah," she grinned, "Fate, right. Um," she reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out the watch, "Anyway, I have your watch. It must have slipped into my pocket when I was... at your place. Here," she held it out to him.

He stood, smiling at her, "It's okay, you can hold on to it for a while. I have something I have to give back to you as well."

Usagi felt a little scared, "You... you do? How is it that you have something that belongs to me?"

He had left her handkerchief sitting on his pillow, so he could smell her as he fell asleep. It wouldn't be fair if she gave back the watch and he kept his token of her, the memento of their first kiss, "Next time we meet, we can do an exchange. For sure."

She smiled widely at him, "Yeah, for sure."

Usagi felt caught in that magic bubble again, where they were both just staring into each others' eyes and not moving, not wanting to talk. She felt so safe in his blue gaze, and wanted to stay that way forever. After a few minutes, he was the one to break it off, "I, uh, gotta return these books to my school library before class starts. I should go."

"Okay," she nodded as he gathered his things and left. Her heart felt like a heavy weight in her chest, but it was in a good way. It was an ache that she wanted to feel for forever, and she felt giddy as she made her way toward school.

Luna had been watching the whole thing, disapprovingly. Obviously Usagi's feelings for Mamoru Chiba had changed completely, and now she was falling for him. Figures. It seemed that whenever a man suddenly appeared in her life, specifically Tuxedo Kamen, she just wanted to desperately be with him. Luna still didn't know what to think of Tuxedo Kamen, and knew that she would be more reassured if she could just find some information on him.

"What are you worrying about now, Luna?" said a man's voice near her. She jumped, and Artemis came out of a bush, smiling at her, "I remember how you used to constantly fret over everything, especially the soldier's love lives."

"Oh Artemis," Luna sighed, "I really can't help it, can I?"

"Don't worry about trivial things like that," he said as they walked together, "Besides, your mission is complete, right? You located the sailor soldiers and trained them. But there's a bit more to it, I'm afraid," he suddenly became serious, like his master, "So you wouldn't be completely stressed out, part of your memory wasn't revived. In the Silver Millennium, it was your duty to look after Her Highness. Come with me to the control room, I think it's time for you to learn everything."

"Artemis? I..." Luna started to say, but the white cat bounded away toward the arcade. Luna, scared and a little excited, followed him.

"So the Moon Princess is finally here," the mass of darkness known as Queen Metallia said to her servant.

"Yes, my queen," Beryl bowed.

"And yet I cannot feel her presence. Perhaps she doesn't have the Silver Crystal after all. Which means that this is your chance, Beryl. We still have a shot at finding the crystal, but first, you must destroy the princess and her soldiers, so they can no longer interfere. Then find the Silver Crystal, so I can return to the surface once again!"

Queen Metallia faded, her energy spent. Beryl stood and made her way out of the caverns to find Kunzite. She thought back on her memories of the Moon Princess, so long ago. She was thrilled that the war would begin again, but this time, it would end in their victory.

Kunzite was in the tomb, standing over the bodies of his deceased comrades. He put his hand on Zoisite clear casket, feeling guilty and alone.

Beryl spoke up, "You do know that, once you find the crystal, you can bring them all back to life?"

"Of course I know, Queen Beryl," he bowed to her, kissing her hand, "Leave it up to me. As the head of the Middle Eastern division, I will wipe out those sailor soldiers and hand the crystal to you."

Zoisite's plan had been a very good one. Indeed, Tokyo was buzzing with energy, and it was all for the taking. Kunzite went to the tallest point he could find, Tokyo Tower, and looked out over the city. It was bright, thriving, loud. He hated it. The darkness was a beautiful thing, and he intended to let this city witness a true beauty. He reached out his hands to use his powers, preparing to wipe out all the power.

Usagi expected the princess to tell them to meet at the command center, or somewhere else private, or even at the place where she had hidden the crystal. Instead, Minako sent out a text inviting them all out to pizza. It just felt very informal, but Usagi wasn't one to complain about getting a fun meal.

She met up with the other girls in the city, excited to see the whole team together at last, "Hey guys! And hello V... I mean, princess... or Minako-chan..."

Minako giggled, "Oh please, call me whatever you want."

Usagi grinned, feeling in a good mood, especially after her encounter that morning, "How about a compromise? I can call you V-chan."

Everyone laughed except for Rei, who still seemed to hold her princess in the highest regard.

"Don't make that stern face, Rei-chan," Usagi said merrily, "It just feels so strange to know that Sailor V and our princess is just a regular girl like us."

Minako nudged Usagi, "Well, same goes for you, Sailor Moon!"

Rei snapped, "Usagi-chan, you are such a scatterbrain. Seriously, when you aren't transformed, your intelligence level drops immediately. Stop saying such embarrassing things to the princess."

Usagi was offended, "Rei-chan, how can you say such mean things?"

"Really guys?" Makoto shook her head, "Rei-chan, you're going to make her cry."

Minako was still giggling, "You guys have such an interesting dynamic. Does this back and forth usually happen?"

"Usually," Ami sighed, "Rei-chan is sometimes literally filled with fire."

"Better believe it," Rei grinned.

There was a sudden popping sound over their heads, and just as they were plunged into darkness, a telephone wire snapped and swung their way, brushing past Makoto. She fell to the ground, screaming.

"Mako-chan!" they all rushed to her side, "Are you alright?"

"Ow," Makoto got to her feet, "I feel sore after that."

"Look," Ami gestured up at the telephone wires that was sparking above their heads, "They got cut somehow. But nobody was around to do it."

"Stop," Makoto said, recovering, "Don't go near those."

Ami tripped over something in the darkness, and everyone was horrified to see that it was a body. When they looked around, they saw plenty of other people who seemed to have died in the attack.

Usagi's communicator beeped, and Luna's voice said from the control room, "The computers say that power has gone out over the entire city! What's going on up there?"

"It's not right," Makoto said, grabbing her stiff arm, "That energy that went through there wasn't natural electricity, at least not from the kind I get from lightning for my attacks. It felt... it felt evil."

"It's the enemy!" Minako cried, "Everyone, transform now! They could be anywhere! Moon Power, Transform!"

"Mercury Power, Make Up!"

"Mars Power, Make Up!"

"Jupiter Power, Make Up!"

"Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

The sailor soldiers rushed through the streets, carefully stepping over victims and looking out for the enemy, but the pitch darkness was making it hard to see anything. Usagi was afraid for a moment that, possibly, the whole world had gone black, and everyone was dead except for them. She jumped when Sailor V cried out, "Look at Tokyo Tower! There's a light at the top! Let's go!"

"Wait," Ami said, "Princess, you should go back to the control room with Luna and Artemis, it's safe there."

"Are you kidding?" Minako shot an angry look at Ami, "I'm going to fight!"

"Yeah," Usagi agreed, "And we will protect you."

The five of them raced toward Tokyo Tower. Usagi's heart was pounding, but not from the run. Certainly she was going to protect the princess, but was Tuxedo Kamen coming to protect her? What if he was hurt, or dead, from the attack? She closed her eyes and whispered, "Mamo-chan."

"Endymion!"

Mamoru snapped awake, nearly yelling. He wiped the sweat off his brow and took some deep, controlled breaths. The dream was more real than ever, and this time she had called out to him. It was almost as if she had been in his room, screaming that name.

He had a headache. He rubbed his temples as he realized that his apartment was far darker than it usually was. He looked outside to see nothing but darkness. There had been a massive blackout.

Except there was something happening at Tokyo Tower. There was a bright light near the very top.

Ignoring his headache, he went to get dressed.

The soldiers reached the base of the tower. Makoto looked up, "Are we gonna have to climb up all those steps?"

"No," Minako stepped forward, "Don't you know how to use your transport spheres? Focus on your tiara, and you will be sent to where you need to be. Everyone, hold hands."

They did, and the gem in everyone's tiara's sparkled. Instantly they were surrounded by a clear bubble, and they began soaring off the ground. Usagi tried not to look down, realizing that there was hardly anything beneath her feet.

"There!" Rei spotted the enemy near the fourth level. It was another man, dressed the same as the others, but this one had long white hair and a young face, "I'm so glad you could be here, sailor soldiers."

They landed on the steel girder he was standing on, and Sailor Moon cried out, "You have no right to drain people's energy! The sailor-suited soldier of love and justice, Sailor Moon, is here! In the name of the moon, we will punish you!" she held the Moon Stick as high as she could, pointing it toward the city and, willing all her energy into it, called out, "Moon Healing Escalation!" Almost instantly, power was restored to Tokyo.

Kunzite held out a hand, and using his telekinesis he pushed Sailor Moon off of her feet. She stumbled off the girder, and began falling to the ground. The girls above her called out, "Sailor Moon!"

She was too terrified to scream. She tried to focus on her tiara to create a transport sphere, but she was too preoccupied with the fact that she was going to die. But instead of splattering on the ground, she fell right into Tuxedo Kamen's arms. He stumbled as he caught her, almost falling over himself, but he kept his grip tight on her body. Only his mask and hat fell to the pavement.

Usagi stared into his face, gasping and shaking. A few seconds later her brain started working again and she said a little tearfully, "Oh my God, Tuxedo Kamen," and wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders, squeezing him tightly.

There was screaming above her. The two of them looked up to see the enemy flying to the top of the tower in his own transport sphere, and the other soldiers chased after him. Usagi looked at Tuxedo Kamen seriously before saying, "It isn't safe here. We're gonna fight this enemy and defeat him, okay? Get far, far away from here," and instinctively she kissed his lips, giving him a hard peck before flying up into the air after the enemy.

Stunned, Mamoru put a hand to his lips, not knowing what to think. He was amazed at how strong Sailor Moon appeared to be today. Every time he met her, she seemed to have a different personality showing. Either she was goofy, or crying, or scared, or a fierce warrior, or romantic. Wondering just who this girl who fell into his life was, he realized that he would have to run up a lot of stairs in order to catch up to her, and make sure she was safe. He began to run into the tower.

Usagi found her fellow soldiers floating just over the top of the tower. They had surrounded the enemy, and he just seemed to smirk as they prepared an attack.

"Supreme Thunder!" Sailor Jupiter made it rain lightning and shot it out toward the enemy. The attack just seemed to absorb into his sphere, completely unaffecting him. He grinned, and Sailor Moon had a terrible realization of what was about to happen.

"He's going to attack us with our own energy!" Sailor Moon called out, "Everyone, get away!" She took out her Moon Stick, and focused her energy on the sphere that the princess and the other soldiers were in, knowing that it was her duty to protect Princess Serenity. Kunzite reached out a hand, about to attack, grinning madly.

"Sailor Moon!" the princess cried, "Damn it, no!"

It all happened very quickly. Kunzite's energy shot out of his sphere, right at Sailor Moon. The princess tried to dash toward her companion, screaming at the top of her lungs, "Everyone protect Sailor Moon!" Usagi turned her head, which felt like it took years to do, and saw the lightning blast coming right toward her. Right before she was about to die, Tuxedo Kamen leaped into her sphere, blocking her, and took the full blast.

Usagi felt like there was a moment where nothing happened. There was just one second of pure darkness before she realized what she was seeing.

Tuxedo Kamen collapsed into her arms. His stomach and chest were ripped wide open, and blood was everywhere.


	10. Act 9: Princess

Act 9: Princess

"Tuxedo Kamen?" she said quietly, as if he were only asleep and she was going to wake him up. But in fact she was shaking so much that her words were barely audible. She looked down at his blood covering her arms and neck, and could feel the flecks of blood splatter dripping down her face. She tried again, "Tuxedo Kamen?"

Mamoru's mind was buzzing, and he was desperately trying to figure out if this was real or not. The pain all over his body definitely confirmed it was real, but the woman from his dreams was right in front of him, calling out his name. She had long, flowing hair, and was speaking directly to him. He blinked, realizing that for all this time, he had been dreaming about Sailor Moon. But no... not Sailor Moon...

"Tuxedo Kamen!" she began screaming a little more frantically when she saw his eyes move, "Please be okay! Please say something! Just don't die, please!"

Her beautiful eyes were swarming with tears. Just as they had done so long ago. This was just like last time, when Princess Serenity was holding his dying body, and she was calling out his name, "Endymion! Endymion!" As he died, all the memories of his former life flooded back to him. He smiled. Most of them had been very happy. And he was glad to have been reborn as Mamoru Chiba, because he managed to spend a few days with the woman of his dreams. But his old history seemed to have repeated itself. He was even going to die in the same way, in the arms of his true love.

With the last of his strength, he reached up a hand to brush away her tears and some of his blood. He whispered her name, "Serenity," and tried to tell her not to cry, to be brave and strong, but he was feeling very weak.

Usagi cupped her hand to his face as she watched the life slip out of him, and watched him die.

"NO!" she screamed very loudly, unable to believe what had just happened. Her body reacted before her mind did. She started hyperventilating, biting her lip and sweating. Once she truly registered that he was dead, she screamed with every fiber of her being, "NOOOO!" She held his body tightly against him, feeling the small amount of warmth that was still in him. The sphere around her began to glow brightly, and she couldn't see anything outside of it.

But the other girls could. They were completely shocked, and gasped when they saw Sailor Moon's tiara shatter. Underneath it was a glittering, golden crescent moon. And, like a light bulb that suddenly turned on in her brain, the memories of her past life as Princess Serenity came flooding back to her.

Makoto, Rei and Ami realized it very suddenly. _Sailor Moon is the princess!_ Sailor V's fake crescent moon faded and was replaced with a regular tiara. She smiled, at least now she could stop pretending to be the princess.

It wasn't just Sailor Moon's tiara that had changed. Her outfit was slowly changing as well, turning into Princess Serenity's official gown. It was flowing, white and lacy, and strapless, except for the balled sleeves on her upper arms. She heard a strange sound, a sort of ticking, and reached into what used to be her pocket and pulled out Mamoru's watch. It had started working again... but now it was moving backwards.

"The past," Serenity said out loud, "Tuxedo Kamen, it's like we're going back in time. To our past lives. Do you remember it?" she wasn't speaking in Usagi's voice anymore, her real voice was gentle and soft.

Rei gasped, grabbing her head, and Ami and Makoto quickly did the same. Rei whispered, "I don't believe it. I remember. I remember everything."

"Yes," Makoto said, "We were Princess Serenity's guardians, assigned to protect her."

"And we were reborn," Ami concluded, "So we could find our princess again, and restore the Moon Kingdom. Our princess," and they looked back at Serenity, who had now completely transformed into her former self.

All of Mamoru's blood vanished from Serenity's body. Her skin was now faintly glowing, and her hair had changed from blond to a glittering silver; her pigtails were longer than they had ever been before. She carefully rested her beloved's head in her lap, cradling him and speaking to his body, "I remember it. Everything. Especially you, Endymion, my true love. I feel like I'm going to be drowning in these memories. But it's a good feeling. It's like when I look into your eyes, and feel like I'm drowning in that blue color, the same blue as your planet. That blue planet of hope and possibilities. Oh, how I loved to watch it from the moon.

"Even when I was a little girl, I would watch it from the palace. It was always so beautiful. And I would hear stories about its handsome crown prince, Endymion. I wanted to meet you. So one day I disguised myself, and went to the teleporter where the Earth people travel to the Silver Millennium and back, and I wound up in your garden. And there you were.

"Endymion, the Earth was beautiful. There was real, true sound on your world. The air felt incredible to breathe. And there were animals, the ocean, clouds... but it was you that fascinated me the most. But we weren't supposed to communicate, for it was a forbidden law for the kings of Earth to look upon the celestial rulers of the Silver Millennium. But we had to be together. You would sometimes sneak onto the moon, or I would meet you in your garden. Do you remember the last time I came to see you? You pulled me into your warm arms and said that we were never to see each other again, that you had decided that you should honor your ancestors rules and never look upon me anymore. You said you were doing your best not to fall in love with me... but then you kissed me, so very passionately, and said that is was hopeless. It was far too late to keep yourself from me. We were so in love, and so happy.

"And then the uprising happened. The Earth people decided to destroy the Silver Millennium, because they wanted the Silver Crystal for themselves. They came to the moon with weapons, and attacked. And you were there, and you tried to protect me. One rebel, a woman, rushed up to me with a sword, and when she saw you she demanded to know why you were betraying your planet. You yelled at her to stop what she was doing at once. But a great darkness with white eyes emanated from her, and she cut you very badly, and you bled to death in my arms while I screamed and screamed your name..."

Princess Serenity came back to reality, and looked down at her dead lover once again, "Can you even hear me? I like to think that you are. You can't be dead, it just wouldn't be fair. We were reborn here, on your planet, to find each other once again. Is this our fate, Endymion? My Tuxedo Kamen, there is still so much I never had the chance to say to you. We have only just found each other."

Finally, she began to cry, "You are the only man I will ever love," and the tear that fell down her cheek shone with a brilliant, bright light. Kunzite and the sailor soldiers winced and had to look away, for the white light was too powerful. It shone brighter than the sun over Tokyo. The people who had died in Kunzite's attack stood, brushing themselves off, completely restored. Every plant in the city turned themselves to the light. Every sick and dying person in every Tokyo hospital were suddenly healed. The city was instantly purified as the tear crystallized and landed in Princess Serenity's hand.

Ami finally realized she had her special glasses on her, and when she put them on she could see through the light, and gasped when she saw the crystal.

Queen Beryl, who had been watching through her crystal ball, screamed when her castle began to shake. She was alarmed when, suddenly, the entire scene began playing out directly in front of her. Kunzite stared at his queen, since it seemed that the crystal had created a portal, connecting the location of the crystal to the Dark Kingdom.

Below the castle, Queen Metallia began to vibrate. The space that consisted of her mouth grinned as she felt the portal connect to the human's dimension. The light of the Silver Crystal reached her dark cave, and she felt her power growing. She opened her eyes, and she could finally see.

"Now this," she said to herself, "this is the power of the Silver Crystal."

Three figured appeared behind Queen Beryl, and Kunzite gasped. He saw his three comrades, Jadeite, Nephrite and Zoisite, standing there as if they had never died.

"You've all come back to life!" Kunzite gasped.

"Yes," Jadeite said, "We have regained our lives and our memories. Kunzite, where is our Prince Endymion?"

And just like that, Kunzite's own memories of his past life returned. So long ago, he and his comrades requested an audience with Prince Endymion, demanding that they attack the Silver Millennium and take the Silver Crystal for themselves. The Moon Kingdom had always been spying on them, mocking them with their thousand-year lifespan and great wisdom. Prince Endymion stood from his throne, demanding to know just what the Moon Kingdom had done to them personally, and if that mass of darkness had planted those ideas in their heads.

"What is this?" Kunzite asked, stunned, "What is this memory?"

"It's our past lives," Nephrite smiled.

Zoisite continued, "We were reincarnated to locate our Prince Endymion. But the dark creature enslaved us once again, before our memories could return. We sold ourselves, like slaves. It changed our bodies, melting them and molding them to do evil."

"Enough!" Queen Beryl cried out, and with a wave of her hand the three generals turned into small stones, their own namesakes. Kunzite was stunned, but before he could ask his queen why she would do that, he heard Sailor Mercury cry out, "Look! The crystal!"

The glow from the crystal dimmed into a tiny ball, which flew out of the crystal and into Tuxedo Kamen's chest. The night was restored to its usual darkness.

"Now, Kunzite!" Queen Beryl cried out, "Before the portal is closed! Get the crystal!"

Reacting to his gut instinct, Kunzite attacked with his energy force, but the sailor soldiers were quick. They rushed to their princess's side, holding her tightly. The grip Serenity had on Tuxedo Kamen slipped, and he fell out of her sphere. Kunzite leaped forward and grabbed his body.

"Tuxedo Kamen!" Princess Serenity screamed.

Kunzite attacked again, this time with an even more powerful energy force. The sailor soldiers stood in front of their princess, focusing on their sphere to make it stronger, while Princess Serenity tried to get through them.

"Stop, princess!" Minako cried out, "We can't fight him now. We have to withdraw!"

"No!" she screamed back, "We can't leave, Tuxedo Kamen is..."

Kunzite quickly made his way into the portal leading toward the Dark Kingdom, and the doorway began to fade away.

"Luna, Artemis," Ami said over her communicator, "Teleport us to the control room, right away!"

She had to yell that, because Princess Serenity was screaming, "NOO! No Tuxedo Kamen, noo! MAMO-CHAN!"

They wound up on the roof of the arcade. Serenity was leaning on the edge, sobbing her eyes out. All the times she had ever cried during battle as Sailor Moon didn't compare to this. She was crying because there was a hole in her heart, where Prince Endymion belonged. She had had him, for just those few seconds before he... it wasn't fair at all, they were supposed to be together, that's why they had been reborn, and now he was gone...

Sailors Mercury, Mars and Jupiter just stood, not sure what to do or say. It was Sailor V who stepped forward, and knelt as she spoke to her princess, "Sailor Moon? I mean, Princess Serenity. Do you remember me? Sailor Venus?"

Serenity lifted her head, and turned to look at her friend.

"You do remember that I, Sailor Venus, am the true leader of the four guardians who protect the princess? And you remember our kingdom, Silver Millennium..."

"Yes," Serenity said quietly, "I remember. Prince Endymion, he... we had so many happy times together, before we were reborn. Back when the Earth was only one, large continent, and the moon had its kingdom. But, there was war between the worlds. We had so many happy times too, didn't we Venus? All of those happy moments were destroyed. And, just like tonight, I couldn't save my prince."

There was a pause. Luna finally spoke up, "I should have known that Tuxedo Kamen was Prince Endymion. It makes so much sense. I can't believe this could have happened."

"It's all become of that thing!" Sailor Mars yelled, "That creature was the whole reason the Earth people went to war with us in the first place. It's targeting the people again, brainwashing them."

"From what I remember," said Sailor Mercury, "It was a creature from distant space, with no physical body. It's just darkness, an evil darkness."

"But we sealed it away!" Sailor Venus insisted, "I know it was. How could this be happening again? Do you think..." she paced, thinking, "Somebody had to be working for it. And when that dimension appeared, there was that woman standing there... could she be the one? Is she the one who is in charge of the Dark Kingdom?"

"We can find the Dark Kingdom," said Sailor Jupiter, "I know we can! Maybe we can use the Silver Crystal. Part of it went into Tuxedo Kamen's body, right? Maybe we can use the crystal to locate his body, and the Dark Kingdom. But who knows what they could be doing to him..."

"Jupiter!" Venus said, interrupting her, and glanced over at the princess. She didn't want Serenity to think about what could be happening to her lover's body.

Princess Serenity looked down at the tiny crystal that was clutched in her fist. She pressed it to her cheek and said quietly, "I still can't believe that my tear became the crystal. It was inside of me all along. It shone so brightly, but now it's like a piece of ordinary glass. But it's still a little warm," her voice began fading, "Just like... his warmth... his hands..." and she collapsed, fainting.

"Princess!" the four girls rushed to her. Venus said resolutely, "We should get her home."

Tuxedo Kamen's body healed up from the light of the crystal, and his heart was steadily beating as he slept. Kunzite and Beryl stared down at him, not sure of what to do.

"He's stabilized," Kunzite said, shrugging, "I can't locate the power of the crystal, but it's keeping him alive somehow."

"We both saw it," Queen Beryl said, disgruntled, "That light came from the crystal and into his body. All of the crystal's power is inside of him. Maybe it just spread through his entire body."

She snapped her fingers, and his body sat upright.

"I have no use for a dead body that doesn't contain the Silver Crystal," Queen Beryl sighed, and she began to chant. Slowly, Tuxedo Kamen's skin began to melt off, and his blue eyes dropped out of their sockets.

"NOOO!" Usagi woke from her nightmare with a start. Once she realized that she had dreamed all that, she put her face in her hands and began to cry all over again. She had woken up every hour from some terrible nightmare about what was happening to Tuxedo Kamen's body, and she just couldn't take anymore. She refused to go back to sleep.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She stared gloomily into her puffy eyes, which were now actually red like a rabbit's from too much crying. _I've never looked uglier_, Usagi said to herself. But, she realized, at least her hair turned back to blond. She ran a hand through one of her pigtails, and realized that something was very, very wrong.

Luna couldn't bear the thought of going back to Usagi's house. She stayed curled up in the control room, feeling terribly guilty. She had taken an oath, so long ago in the Moon Kingdom, that she would never abandon the princess or leave her side. And here she was, sulking underneath an arcade, far from her princess. The only other time they had separated was after the Moon Kingdom was destroyed, and she and Artemis had entered a cryogenic sleep, only to wake once the princess had been reincarnated. When she awoke, her only thought was to fulfill her mission: find Sailor Moon, train her, and take care of her. Her memory had specifically blocked some things, while for Artemis they weren't. Part of his mission was to turn Sailor Venus into a fake Princess Serenity, in order to protect the Silver Crystal that was sleeping inside of Usagi's body, and to deceive the enemy. If only she knew that Usagi would be so... Usagi, and be cute and clumsy and a cry-baby. She hadn't expected that, and became fixated on it, so much so that she never pieced together that Tuxedo Kamen could be Prince Endymion. If that had happened, then this whole catastrophe could have been avoided. It was her fault that Usagi was in such pain.

She sighed, and said out loud, "I'm a failure as Usagi-chan's partner."

Artemis was quickly at her side, "If you're her partner, you should be with her."

"Oh Artemis... I'm sorry, this isn't like me at all."

Artemis licked her face, trying to cheer her up a little, "Have you been hiding in the arcade all this time?"

"I was trying to find the true location of the Dark Kingdom, but I got nothing. How long have I been in here?"

"Almost a week."

"How is Usagi-chan?"

Ikuko opened the front door to find Usagi's four friends standing there, looking worried.

"Hi girls," she smiled a little, "I'm glad you came by. You do know that all of you have been calling the house every day, right?"

"How is Usagi-chan?" Ami asked, "I brought all her homework, since she hasn't been to school."

"That's kind of you," Ikuko smiled, "I know I should force her to go to school. But she's never actually refused to go before, so I know something serious must have happened. And she hardly ever leaves her room, or eats. But I can't get her to tell me what happened..." she jumped, as Luna suddenly dashed into the house between her legs, "Oh, Luna the bald spot kitty is back. She must be worried about Usagi too."

Luna rushed to Usagi's door and scratched at it, "Usagi-chan? Are you alright in there? It's me, Luna!"

"Usagi-chan," the four girls stood beside Luna as Rei knocked, "You have to tell us what's going on."

They heard Usagi reply in a quiet voice, "Come in." Rei opened the door, and all of them gasped. Usagi was sitting on the floor of her room, and her blond hair had grown so long that it cascaded across her carpet.

"Hey Luna," Usagi sighed, "Hey guys."

They gaped at her. Usagi shrugged and said, "It just kept growing."

Minako pointed to her desk, "Sit. Do you have any scissors?"

"Yeah, here," Usagi struggled to walk to the desk, and handed Minako some scissors from her desk. Minako got right to work, cutting and snipping and tying buns in her hair.

"Man, your dumplings are more complicated than I thought. But I remember your long hair, back in the Silver Millennium. Your pigtails would practically float behind you. Maybe your body is changing now that you've recovered your memories."

"Changing?" Usagi wrapped her arms around her body, "I'm turning into some space princess, aren't I? I'm going to lose my identity."

"You'll be fine," Makoto grinned, "As long as you have us four, we will make sure you don't go... space princessy."

"Where is the Silver Crystal?" Luna asked, "I hope you're keeping it safe."

"Of course," Usagi pulled it out of the safest place she could think of: her bra. She held it out so everyone could see, "It hasn't done anything. I mean, not like that night. You're sure this is really the Silver Crystal?"

"Of course it is, Usagi-chan," Luna insisted.

"Maybe it's not doing anything because of what happened," Makoto suggested, "You know, when that light flew out of it and went inside Tuxedo Kamen's body? I'm sure that has something to do with it."

Usagi's memories of that night came rushing back to her. The blood, her screaming, the way his face relaxed as he died in her hands...

"Where is he?" Usagi demanded, standing up from her desk, "I know they have him. We have to defeat the Dark Kingdom! We have to rescue him!"

"Usagi-chan," Ami said in a relaxing voice, "Calm down, he..."

"No!" Usagi shoved her away, "We have to go get him right now! If we don't, they're gonna melt his body and... no! No! Endymion!"

Minako grabbed Usagi's shoulders and slapped her across her face, snapping her out of her episode, "Princess! Hold yourself together! We are here to help you, okay? We are all gonna go rescue him together, so, don't cry like this. Be happy that we are still here, okay?"

Usagi blinked the tears out of her eyes, feeling the sting from Minako's slap, "You're right. I'm Princess Serenity, the heiress to the Moon Kingdom. I can't be acting like this. But you guys," she looked at them, desperately, "I know he's alive. I just know it. So we will rescue him, and bring him back."

She tucked the Silver Crystal back inside her bra as she said, "We have to find the Dark Kingdom, and we have to figure out how the Silver Crystal works. But how are we gonna do any of that? I've been thinking, and I've got nothing."

"So let's go to the moon and find out," Luna said.

The five girls just gaped at the cat.

"We can go back to where our kingdom once was. I'm sure we can find all the answers we need on the moon."


	11. Act 10: Moon

Act 10: Moon

The five of them stared at Luna, not sure of what to say or do, or if they should even believe Luna.

"Right!" Luna said, "Now that we've decided on that, there is some preparation I need to do. We can't all travel there until the next full moon, so we have to wait until tomorrow night."

"Luna," Ami spoke up, "How do you expect us to get there? It's not like we can go to the United States and hop on the space shuttle. Do you have some kind of rocket we don't know about?"

Luna laughed, "Don't be ridiculous. I need to go to the arcade, is anyone coming with me?"

Usagi gave her mother a much needed hug before setting out with her friends. Ami was still fretting about the moon trip, and started reciting facts as she walked, "The mass of the moon is 1/80 of Earth, the surface gravity is 1/6 of the Earth, and it's diameter is ¼ of Earth's. The Moon is the only natural satellite of Earth, taking approximately twenty-eight days to complete one revolution. The escape velocity for the Earth..."

"What are you doing?" Minako asked.

"Oh," Ami blinked, "Whenever I get nervous, I start remembering facts. It calms me down."

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about," Makoto said, nodding at the cat that was walking far ahead of them, "Luna knows what she's doing, we're in good hands. Or paws, I guess."

"But how are we going to breathe?" Ami asked, "Are we going to wear space suits? Plus, do you know all the training that astronauts perform to prepare their bodies for zero gravity? It takes them months, and the next full moon is tomorrow!"

Usagi stayed silent, hanging back a little from the group. She still felt so depressed about everything, and her past life memories played over and over in her head. But she smiled when she entered the arcade and saw Naru and Umino playing each other on a race car game. When Naru spotted her friend, she called out, "Jump in for me, Umino is crushing me!"

She dashed into the drivers seat, and was soon laughing over her friendly racing rivalry with Umino. Ami smiled as she watched the scene, "I'm glad Usagi-chan is cheering up."

"Right," Makoto agreed, "She can't be depressed. After all, we're going to the moon!"

That night, Usagi couldn't stop staring up at the moon. It was hard to believe that she used to live up there, and that tomorrow she would be returning there. It seemed so far away, and yet so close to her. Her heart began to race. She wanted to go right now, and learn everything she could about her past life, the rebellion, the Silver Millennium... and any clues that would help them rescue Mamoru.

"Usagi!" her Dad called from downstairs, "Dinner!"

"Coming!" she jumped up from her bedroom window. Since she hadn't wanted to eat for the past few days, she was now starving. After she dashed downstairs, her father held out a velvet bag, and removed a necklace from it, "I had that stone you got made into a pendant, just like you asked."

"It's beautiful!" Usagi reached out to hold her new Silver Crystal necklace. It now had a silver bell cap attached to it, which was threaded with a graceful silver chain. She held the crystal up to a light, watching some tiny rainbows dance across its surface.

"I can tell you've been taking good care of that stone," Kenji said, a little nervous, "Did you get it from a boy?"

"Yeah," she couldn't hide her grin.

"What?" he nearly yelled, "Excuse me? Explain."

Usagi clasped the necklace around her neck, "It's sort of like that," she said in Serenity's misty voice, and she made her way to the dinner table.

Kenji was a bit off put at his daughter's sudden personality change. She had gone from locking herself in her room for days and crying to magically acting like she was floating on air. He didn't bring it up with his wife until after dinner. Usagi and Shingo were playing a fighting game on their PlayStation, frantically mashing buttons and yelling while their avatars tried to kill each other. Luna had walked in after sunset, looking exhausted, and curled up in Ikuko's lap to sleep.

"So, honey," Kenji finally began to say.

"Yes, dear?" his wife answered as she scratched behind Luna's ears.

"Is it just me, or does Usagi seem like a different person?" he asked, "I feel like she's starting to become a woman very suddenly, and we're going to lose her."

Ikuko shook her head, "Don't be so silly! Usagi is going to always be our little girl," she nodded toward Usagi, who was yelling at her brother while she frantically played her video game.

Luna sighed, feeling worried and anxious.

Ami's father was in town, and since she hadn't seen him much since her parent's divorce, she was going to spend the night with him. The other three, however, realized that they didn't have anywhere to be, and decided to have a slumber party at Makoto's apartment. They went to Makoto's nearest market to get ingredients for dinner, and made a final stop at the vending machine in Makoto's building.

"I'll take an oolong tea," Minako asked.

"Got it," Makoto said, putting in her coins.

"And I'll take plum juice," Rei said, "It's good for my complexion."

"Is that one of your beauty secrets?" Minako asked her, "You're going to have to tell me your whole routine, you know."

"Mina-chan," Makoto said, "tell us about yourself. Basically all I really knew about you was that you were the princess, and then it turns out you're not even that."

"Well, I'm on the volleyball team at school. I really love it. But my real passion is singing. I've wanted to be a pop star since I was really little. And trust me, I'm super talented," she grinned a little arrogantly, "And I live, actually, only a few blocks from Usagi-chan. I live with my Mom, my parents are in the same situation as Ami-chan's. My Dad moved back to the United States after the divorce, so I've been to America a couple of times and I'm fluent in English. And..." she thought about anything else to say, and blushed a little as she said, "I really love boys."

Makoto giggled, "Oh, totally! Have you seen the guy at the arcade?"

"Really?" Minako seemed a little put-off, "He's kinda old. Isn't he in college?"

"So?" Makoto said, "That doesn't mean he's not cute!"

"You guys are gross," Rei made a face, "I can't believe you waste your time and energy over boys."

"Rei-chan," Minako confronted her, "There is _nothing _better to waste time on than boys. Nothing! Don't tell me you've never had a crush!"

Rei was quiet.

"Aha!" Makoto said, "Dish. Tell us everything."

"Well," Rei said, and spoke quickly, "My Dad is a politician, he practically lives at his work, so when my Mom died I went to live with my Grandpa. But there's this guy that works for my Dad..." her voice trailed off.

Makoto grinned, "Wow Rei-chan, you're not just into older guys, you're into _really _older guys!"

"Stop!" Rei blushed, "He's married and all that, so it's not like I have a chance. It's just, you know," she shrugged, "I don't go fawning over every boy I see."

"You're missing out!" Minako nodded wisely, "You don't even know."

While Makoto unlocked her door, Rei asked, "How is it that you live by yourself at age fourteen anyway? Where are your parents, Mako-chan?"

She looked down and shrugged, "Airplane crash."

Rei gasped. Minako put a hand on Makoto's shoulder, "I'm so sorry."

She smiled at her friends, "It was a year ago, I'm fine. I don't have any other family, and I proved to the welfare system that I'm capable of living on my own, so I get sent checks every month from the government to survive off of. Plus, the inheritance my parents left me helps a lot too. It was a little rough at first, but nowadays, having my very own place is pretty sweet."

Moonlight was shining into Makoto's dark apartment, and she glanced at her communicator watch, "This time tomorrow, we're gonna be on the moon."

"Let's not think about that until tomorrow," Rei said, and turned to Minako, "You do know that you owe us like a million Sailor V stories."

"Oh my gosh, you guys don't even," Minako grinned as she opened her can of tea and began to tell her story.

It was time. The five girls met outside of the arcade, staring nervously up at the full moon. Luna grinned as she exited the control room, "All the preparations are set. Is everybody feeling their best?"

They quietly mumbled affirmatively.

"Good, let's go to the park."

Usagi froze up inside as they walked along the dark streets. She clearly remembered the last time she was at the park. Mamoru was there, and he had promised to give her something when they saw each other again. How could he have known that that would be the last time they would meet like that, before everything changed? When they arrived, she could practically feel his presence there. If only he would suddenly run into her now, like he always did whenever she was out. She deeply regretted how she acted toward him every time. They didn't have one decent conversation before she knew he was Tuxedo Kamen. It was such a waste. But now that she looked back, she could honestly say that she was excited to see him every time. Even though he teased her, he was still gorgeous and rugged and charming. Her heart always raced whenever they crossed paths. She recalled the first time she saw him in his school uniform, and had noticed just how handsome he looked that day.

She touched her pocket, feeling his watch. She made a silent vow that she would see him again, because she made a promise to return his watch. They just had to rescue him.

"Usagi-chan," Makoto put an arm around her friend when she noticed how distressed she was. Suddenly receiving comfort make Usagi tear up, and she put her hands over her face, and moaned, "I just need to know if he's okay, that's all."

"We're your soldiers," Makoto said soothingly, "We're going to get him back, and he will be just fine, and you will both live happily ever after. I promise you."

Ami stared up at the full moon, "Our satellite has reached the fifteenth day of its revolution. The visible side is completely illuminated by the sun. And there's not even a cloud in the sky. Perfect conditions."

"It's beautiful," Rei said, "You know that a partial moon is associated with hatred and fighting, and a new moon means death and destruction. But it you want a vision of the future, you need the full moon. Right now it's extremely powerful."

"So, Luna," Minako said, "I assume we're going to use our transforming powers to teleport us?"

"Yes," Luna said, "Artemis is programming your coordinates into the moon's database right now. So you should arrive safely. All of you, join hands," Luna began reciting in the ancient Silver Millennium language, and a glowing circle appeared on the ground. The five soldiers, holding hands, stepped inside of it. Once she was done chanting, Luna explained, "Your powers will create a sphere that will sustain you in space, and because of your bloodlines, you can breathe without it as long as your feet are touching the surface of the moon. Now, transform!"

Without hesitation, they began.

"Moon Prism Power..."

"Mercury Power..."

"Mars Power..."

"Jupiter Power..."

"Venus Power..."

And all at once, they cried out, "MAKE UP!"

Energy swirled inside their circle, and a bright beam of light shone down from the moon, surrounding them. And the next thing they knew, they were hovering in a sphere in space, staring in awe at planet Earth.

They were silent as their sphere took them farther and farther away from Earth. It was more magnificent than they could have expected. Each of them felt extremely small at that moment, dwarfed by the size of their home planet.

"It's so beautiful," Makoto finally whispered.

"Look, Mako-chan," Minako touched her shoulder, and pointed to a spot on the dark side of Earth that was flashing with light, "It's lightning."

"That's awesome," Makoto grinned, "Can you guys believe that we were down there just a moment ago?"

"You guys," Ami said quietly. She had turned around to see their destination, and they all gasped when they saw the Moon looming up in front of them. Ami smiled, "Look at all of those craters. It looks like Mercury. Where exactly on the Moon are we going, Luna?"

"Mare Serenitatis," Luna replied, "The Sea of Serenity."

Usagi's heart leaped, eager to get back to her old home. Once they finally landed on the surface, their sphere disappeared, and... there was nothing.

No sound, no wind, no sign of life... there was no other silence that could possibly exist that similar. Minako put her hands over her ears, since the silence was making them ring. When any of them took the tiniest step, shuffling their feet in the ground, the sound seemed twice as loud.

"Well," Makoto tried to find something to smile about in this place, and put her arm around Usagi again, "now you're really Usagi Tsukino, the 'rabbit of the moon'!" she sniggered, pointing out the pun in Usagi's name.

"Ha ha," Usagi faked laughter, "Very funny, Mako-chan. What's that over there?"

She pointed to some pillars nearby, and upon closer inspection, they noticed that they weren't moon rocks, but actual man-made columns. They walked closer to find themselves in a place very similar to Greek ruins. A massive building used to be there.

"This must have been where the palace was," Ami said, shivering in the cold.

"Yes," Luna trod carefully around the crumbling stones, "This was our Moon Castle. And right here," she stopped on a crumbling stone floor, "This used to be the prayer room, that only the Queen could enter. You see that pillar?" she nodded ahead, and the girls saw a crumbling clear obelisk, "That was the Crystal Tower, the most sacred place on the Moon. That was where the Queen would pray."

"There's something in the ground," Usagi said, pointing near the ruined Crystal Tower. They looked closer, and saw that the hilt of a sword was sticking out of the tile floor.

"Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, pull that sword out," Luna ordered.

The four girls tried, using all their strength at once, but the sword was stuck. Even Makoto, the strongest, couldn't budge it.

"Keep trying," Luna urged, "You must be the ones to remove it."

They were about to give when Minako gave it a go. She gasped when she felt it loosen, and the sword slid out from the ground. Sailor Venus just stared at it, as it was unlike any sword she had ever seen. Instead of shiny metal, the blade was made of a grayish stone, with four gems at the point in the colors of the four soldiers: blue, red, green and yellow.

The spot where the sword used to be flickered, generating a small light. A tiny, see-through figure appeared there, like a hologram. It came into focus and they saw it was a woman, who resembled Usagi in many ways. She had the same hair style, two buns with very long, silver pigtails, the same shape of face and eyes, an identical crescent moon on her forehead, and a kind smile. Her dress was white and skin tight, and she knelt before all of them, "Good work, Sailor Venus. That is the legendary holy sword that protects the princess. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, it belongs to you four. And Luna, you have done a wonderful job to bring everyone here."

The woman looked at the girls bewildered faces, smiled, and continued, "On Earth I am known as Selene, the goddess of the moon. But I really am the former queen of the Silver Millennium, Queen Serenity."

Usagi gasped, and knelt down to look more closely at the image of her past mother.

"My dear," the queen smiled as she looked up at Sailor Moon, "You look beautiful, Serenity. It has been so long since I've seen you."

"Wow, that's not a recording," Ami gasped, "It's interactive."

"Yes, Mercury, I am still intelligent and thinking," the Queen explained, "This image is generated by the Moon's mainframe, and what you see here is based off of old recordings of me. Even though I died, I was able to preserve my will in the Moon's database. I was the one who put Luna and Artemis into their deep sleep, and woke them up when the time was right. I felt like I waited an eternity for that moment. I couldn't wait for you all to be reborn and return to your castle."

Queen Serenity glanced around at the ruins, "Even though it's all destroyed, do you remember it? My Moon Castle was a beautiful place. Serenity, I remember your favorite spot was the Green Dome, where we had trees and plants and even wind. But you yearned for real nature, and real wind, so you went to Earth. And there, you found love."

Usagi closed her eyes. She could practically feel the artificial wind of the Green Dome on her face again. She recalled the last time she was there, and the scene played in her mind like a movie.

_She had just returned from Earth. She had been there for a long time, so she quickly made her way to the Green Dome. She was going to pretend that she had fallen asleep there in a hiding place. But as she went through the doors, her four soldiers were already searching for her there._

_ "Princess!" Jupiter crossed her arms, "Where have you been?"_

_ "Don't tell me," Venus sighed, "You went down to Earth again, didn't you?"_

_ Serenity tried not to blush, "Maybe."_

_ "How many times do I have to tell you?" Mars sighed, "You aren't supposed to be in contact with the Earth prince! You are a goddess to those people, and you need to remain so. It's the oldest law in the book."_

_ "Well," Serenity grinned, "you have no right to talk. I know yesterday you went to Earth to go on a date with one of Endymion's generals. Which one was it? Jadeite?"_

_ "What? I..." Mars hesitated, and looked to Venus for guidance, since their own leader was in an open relationship with Endymion's main adviser, Kunzite._

_ "That's different!" Mercury said, "If you read the laws carefully, anyone from the Silver Millennium, including us, can go to Earth when we please. And the Earth people can come to the Moon, as long as they don't enter the palace. If you had finished your daily studies today, you would have known that!"_

_ "Oh Mercury," Serenity laughed, "Won't you ever stop talking about books and learning? Endymion says..."_

_ "Here she goes again," Jupiter grinned, "All day and all night it's 'Endymion said this' and 'Endymion does that.' Enough already!" she was trying to be serious, but she couldn't keep down her smile, and soon, all five girls were laughing._

Usagi opened her eyes, smiling. Yes, of course she remembered those happy moments. She wished she had never forgotten them in the first place. But her happy memories on the Moon paled in comparison to the times she had on Earth with Endymion. Even though the Moon had been her home, it was Earth that was in her heart.

The queen continued, "Since we were people of the Moon, we were born with longer lifespans than the Earth people. It was all because of the Legendary Silver Crystal, which was passed down from our ancestors, Serenity, generation to generation. Our jobs, as queen and princess, were to watch over the people of Earth and use the crystal to ensure peace and prosperity to her people. Our job was not to interfere with the kings of Earth, just the happiness of their subjects, so long ago our ancestor and Endymion's ancestor agreed to never communicate, and just coexist peacefully. And everything did go peacefully, for a very long time. It was called the Silver Millennium, but it lasted for far longer than that.

"And then one year... Father Sun seemed terribly active. The solar flares were gigantic. Nobody had ever seen such activity like that before. But it was just that creature, creating a diversion so it could slip into Earth unnoticed. That grotesque being wanted Earth for itself. It was simply made of pure evil, the enemy of all people... no, the enemy of everything. And it didn't just want that beautiful, blue gem called Earth, but also the holy stone of the Moon, containing the most mysterious and unlimited powers, the Legendary Silver Crystal. It used people, manipulating the darkness in their hearts. It made the Earth's people attack the moon. The only person who wasn't deceived was the strong, handsome Prince Endymion, and he did his best to keep his people from doing harm. But it was far too late.

"Do you remember, Serenity? He died, bleeding to death, in your arms. And in your grief, you took his sword and stabbed yourself. Do you remember that?"

Usagi, with tears in her eyes, nodded.

Queen Serenity closed her eyes and continued, "By the time I sealed away that evil, this castle had crumbled. All the people of the Moon and the Earth died, and humans were extinct, and the planet had to begin its evolution all over again. And that is what happened to this place. It is a sad story, but it must be remembered. However, that demon has been resurrected."

The queen wrung her hands, worried, "I don't know where on Earth it is, but it is there, stirring and preparing to take over again. When I went to seal it away, my heart was still full of the grief of losing my daughter. I had a very confused and frail heart when I used the Silver Crystal to create the seal. Therefore, I could not use it to its full potential, so the seal was imperfect. This time, when it is sealed away for good, it must be with the full power of the Silver Crystal. And Princess Serenity," she looked up at her daughter, pleadingly, "You must be the one to do that."

Usagi trembled, remembering the bright light it emitted when it formed from her tear. That, most likely, wasn't even close to its full power. What would it look like when it would finally be used to its fullest extent?

"Queen!" Minako spoke up, "There's something wrong with the crystal. Its power was absorbed into Prince Endymion's body, and it hasn't been able to do anything since."

"It's power was absorbed?" the queen repeated, and she was evidently thrown off, "It... it must be... Princess Serenity, you were trying to save him, were you not? Your will forced the crystal to act," then she smiled tenderly, "I can see the worry in your tearful eyes, Serenity. It's alright. I'm certain he's alive. You don't have to worry."

Those were the words that Usagi was waiting for: someone else saying that he was truly going to be alright. She wasn't saying it out of pity or comfort, she spoke knowingly. Usagi felt a genuine smile on her face, and she wiped away tears of joy.

"But," the queen continued, "Princess Serenity, please remember this. The Silver Crystal works in tune with your heart. You must have a strong faith in yourself, a strong will in your body, and deep love in your soul in order to wipe out that demon. Without those, all will be lost. Please, be proud and confident that you are a princess and the solider of love and justice, Sailor Moon. But not only that, be strong in the fact that you are a girl, a beautiful young woman. That is more powerful than anything; therein lies the real reason you were reborn. Don't..."

She tried to continue, but her image began to flicker. All the girls knelt beside her, leaning in close in case they missed one word.

The small hologram of Queen Serenity looked at each of them as she flickered, "Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, work together to help the princess, and restore this kingdom and its castle..." she was flickering more frequently now, and her voice was full of static. She grew smaller and quieter as she said, "I'm running out of power, I don't have much time left with you. Serenity, may you find happiness..."

As she faded, Usagi finally had the courage to speak to her, "Wait! Queen! If you need power, I have the crystal!" she untucked her necklace from her uniform and took it off her neck, but by the time she held out the crystal, the hologram was gone, and they were swallowed by the silence of the Moon once again.

Frustrated, Usagi felt like throwing the crystal away. She put a hand over her eyes and started to cry. She hated that stupid crystal. It never did anything when she wanted it to. It was worthless. She felt she would never be able to use the crystal to its full potential, even if it was in tune with her heart.

"We should get going," Luna said, looking up at the Earth, "It's nearly dawn in Tokyo."

They teleported back into the park, and they were met with a rush of the sounds of dawn. Birds were singing, the breeze was blowing through the trees, and people were beginning their commute. It was almost deafening. And the light from the rising sun was blinding after spending a night on the dark moon. Usagi took a whiff of the morning air, realizing that Earth had scent as well, and it was beautiful. No wonder she and her ancestors had protected this place with all their might. It would be impossible to find a place more beautiful anywhere else in the universe.

Kunzite was staring at what used to be the tombs of his companions. The glass had been smashed by the power of the Silver Crystal, and their stones were settled inside their destroyed caskets. He picked each one up, staring at them individually. There was the translucent green jadeite stone, the opaque colors of the nephrite, and the bright blue of the zoisite. He wondered if he could easily be turned into a small stone as well, into a tiny, brown spodumene kunzite. It was unfair that Beryl did this to them, just because they had regained their memories. If only they could see their prince one more time.

He rushed into the next chamber, where Prince Endymion's body rested, his heart quietly beating. Kunzite bowed, and silently swore his allegiance back to his true leader, the prince of Earth.

There were footsteps outside the door. The only other inhabitant in the castle that could walk around was Queen Beryl, so Kunzite leaped to his feet, not wanting to be seen. But she passed by, not looking his way. Curious, he began to follow her. He quietly tracked her down some stairs and through a stone maze, leading to a massive doorway that she opened with the old language. The air was rotten with the smell of decay and evil, making his head swim. It made him hard to believe what he was seeing at first as he peeked through the doors. It could only be the great ruler.

The mass was shaped more like a human, with tentacles coming from its head and body. There was a face, a wide mouth and ferocious white eyes. On its forehead was a dark spot, blacker than the rest of it. It emitted waves of dread, horror, and destruction. Nauseous, Kunzite ran from the door, hoping that he would reach his chambers before throwing up.

Queen Beryl knelt before her master, "Queen Metallia. I can only conclude that the power of the Silver Crystal that went into Tuxedo Kamen has faded. I cannot sense a trace of it anymore."

"Then he is just a corpse," Queen Metallia said, "The princess is the one with the true crystal."

"But," Queen Beryl smiled at her own genius, "There is still a way we can use his body to our advantage. Besides, Kunzite isn't going to last much longer."

"Beryl, I need more energy," Queen Metallia growled, "Or else I cannot conquer this planet. We should not waste any more time, now that the princess has awakened. Bring me more energy, and kill those who oppose us! And deliver me the Silver Crystal!"

Queen Metallia vanished, and Beryl went to look at Prince Endymion. She ran a hand across his handsome face, and she grinned at the sight of his attractive features. Yes, she would enjoy this plan she had concocted.

Kunzite entered the chamber, still feeling uneasy and uncomfortable around Beryl, "My queen, you once told me that the Silver Crystal would bring my comrades back to life. Could..."

She grinned maliciously, "It cannot be done, given their current condition."

Kunzite clenched his jaw, feeling betrayed. He remembered the day, so long ago, when Beryl charged Prince Endymion with her sword, fatally wounding him. He and his companions stared in horror as the princess sobbed over his dead body. Beryl had destroyed his life once again. He tried to speak with a steady voice, "What are you going to do with Prince Endymion's body?"

Beryl knew that he was too far gone. She raised her hand, and used her powers to activate the stone buried in his forehead. His face glazed over, and Beryl said hypnotically, "Never forget that you swore allegiance to our great ruler, and you gave your body to me. It doesn't matter how many times you are reborn, you and your comrades will always be my slaves. Now go, Kunzite! I will not allow failure this time. Attack the humans and take their energy. When you do, the princess will appear, and you will take her crystal."

Kunzite, now thoroughly brainwashed, grinned. He had suddenly come up with a wonderful plan to please his queen and great ruler. He went to Tokyo, marveled for a minute at the large ocean, and began to use his telekinesis to create a giant wave to wash over the city. But it wasn't just any wave, it was so cold that it froze whatever it touched, and that ice would take away the energy of the humans it petrified. Kunzite laughed as he hovered over the city, hummed along to the tune of the tsunami alarm, and watched the destruction unfold.

The sailor soldiers and their cats had been in the control room all evening, trying to pinpoint the location of the Dark Kingdom. Luna finally spoke up, "So, everyone, I've been analyzing the tectonic plates. There is a lot of unusual activity near the North Pole, and according to these readings, there is an unusual heat source near that location. But it's only happening underground. This might be connected to the Dark Kingdom, but..."

An alarm went off. Ami jumped to the emergency computer, "Everyone, look at this! The city is covered in ice!"

Everyone gasped as they looked at the camera view outside.

"It's the enemy!" Luna cried out, "Girls, transform and get out there!"

Once the team was ready for battle, they rushed out of the arcade and nearly slipped and fell on their faces. Everything around them was covered in freezing ice. The only sound outside was the tsunami alarm and the clinking of settling ice.

"Where is the enemy?" Sailor Mars asked.

"Let's head toward the ocean," Sailor Mercury said, "If the enemy created a wave of ice and set off the tsunami alarm, then..."

"There you are, Sailor Moon! Or should I say, princess?" came a man's voice from the roof of a building, "You're a bit too late, aren't you?"

Usagi felt faint. It was the same enemy that had taken Tuxedo Kamen's body. Angry, she yelled, "Are you trying to turn Tokyo into the North Pole?"

He laughed, "Of course! It will be perfect for the arrival of our great ruler!"

"Then I won't let you!" she held up the Moon Stick and cried out, "Moon Healing Escalation!"

The ice vanished, the alarm turned off, and the world continued as if nothing had happened. Sailor Moon smiled, glad that this spell wasn't so taxing on her body anymore. In fact, it made her feel warm, at right about her chest. She looked down to see that the Silver Crystal had slipped out and was faintly glowing.

Kunzite saw it too. He jumped from the building, using a transport sphere to reach her. Instead, Sailor Moon activated her own sphere and flew up and away from him, trying to get too high for him to reach. But he kept following her, and the soldiers stayed on his tail, and they traveled higher, and higher, and higher...

_If I go any higher_... Usagi thought, and sure enough, she had traveled so far up that she was once again in outer space, beyond the atmosphere of Earth. She stopped, knowing that if she didn't, she would end up flying through half of space to get rid of him. She turned around, and Kunzite grinned at her.

"Where did you take Tuxedo Kamen?" she ordered, "You had better return him unharmed!"

"We should trade," Kunzite smirked, "You give me the Silver Crystal, and I will give you Tuxedo Kamen... as a corpse!"

His words stung her heart. She knew it couldn't be true, but they still hurt her, deeply.

The sailor soldiers had caught up with them. Kunzite smirked, "Will your attacks work in the vacuum of space? I hope not, that way you can be defenseless as you watch me kill your princess."

"It's too bad for you," Sailor Venus countered, "We've been in space before!" she turned to her team and ordered, "Everyone, we will use the power of our planets to form one giant attack. Direct it at him. Now! Venus Power!"

"Mercury Power!"

"Mars Power!"  
>"Jupiter Power!"<p>

Venus quickly turned to her princess, "Make a protective shield with the Moon Stick!"

"No, wait!" Sailor Moon cried out, "What about Tuxedo Kamen?"

But it was too late. With their powers activated, the sailor soldiers cried out, "Sailor Planet Attack!" and directed it straight at Kunzite. He was hit with the full blast, and his body shriveled up until he was only a small, brown stone. It disappeared with his transport sphere.

"Sailor Moon?" Sailor Venus cried out, "Are you alright?"

She wasn't. She was near tears yet again. They had been face to face with the person who had kidnapped Tuxedo Kamen, and now he was gone. Now they were even farther off from their plan. She clutched the crystal, wishing with all her might that he was safe and sound.

Queen Beryl rolled the final stone through her hand, grinning, "Poor, pitiful Kunzite. Now all four of you have turned to stone."

She tossed the rock aside and stood next to Tuxedo Kamen, and prepared to use one of her most powerful spells, "My great ruler, Queen Metallia, grant me the power of awakening!"

Tuxedo Kamen opened his eyes.

Queen Beryl couldn't help but smile. She watched him rise. The cheerful, calm look in his eyes was replaced with a cold, dead one. He was beautiful. She stepped forward and touched him, caressing his face, "My Prince Endymion, you are finally my little puppet."

He didn't react. Instead, he was staring at the stone on the ground.

She gave him his orders, "You will go to the surface. You will destroy the princess of the Moon Kingdom and take her Silver Crystal."

Nodding, he obeyed.


	12. Act 11: Reunion

Act 11: Reunion

She was dreaming about him again, but this time she could clearly see his face. She was glad to see his smile and charming blue eyes, but she longed for the real thing. It was getting harder and harder to remember what his voice sounded like, and even how comforting his protective warmth was. It would only be a matter of time before she would start to forget his face.

"Usako, Usako..." Usagi smiled as she heard her pet name. Something warm was touching her face. Could it be... Mamo-chan?...

"...gi... Usagi... Usagi-chan, wake up, you slept through your alarm."

She rolled over and opened her eyes, to find Luna prodding at her. She groaned, "Oh man, it's just Luna."

"You're welcome!" Luna grumbled, and she went away to sulk.

Usagi reached over and touched the pocket watch. She kept it next to her pillow as she slept, not wanting to be too far away from it. It had stopped going backwards after they returned from the moon, and now it was still again. She hoped that didn't mean that he was dead, wherever he was.

When she got out of bed, Usagi noticed Luna was sitting on the windowsill with her back to her. The cat's tail was swishing irritatingly. Usagi sighed, and gave her cat a big hug, "Luna, I'm sorry, I love you. I'm getting up now."

She got dressed and was about to leave when Luna spoke up, "Usagi-chan, don't forget this," in her mouth was the Silver Crystal necklace.

Usagi hesitated. On one hand she knew that she had to protect that stone with her life. On the other, she was frustrated at it because she didn't understand how it worked. If it was linked to her heart, like Queen Serenity said, why did it still never work whenever she wanted it to? Knowing it was her duty, she put on the necklace and slipped the crystal under her shirt.

She gave her Dad a kiss on his head and gave her Mom a big hug before rushing out the door with Luna in her arms, "Bye! See you after school!"

Kenji smiled, "Looks like she's gone back to normal."

"Thanks to Luna," Ikuko nodded, "She's lucky to have such a friendly cat who will always stay near her."

Usagi took a different way to school, so she could pass by the arcade to drop off Luna. The cat explained, "We are examining the stone sword right now, to see just what it can do."

"Cool," Usagi grinned, feeling refreshed and in a good mood, "See you after school!" She practically started skipping off to school when someone walking by knocked into her, making her fall to her knees. Her homework and the pocket watch fell on the pavement.

"Ouch!" Usagi said, examining her knees, "Hey, watch where you're..." she froze. Even Luna gaped at the rude man. They could only see him from behind, but even from that angle, he looked exactly like Mamoru Chiba.

Usagi's heart pounded faster and faster. She tried to tell herself that it was impossible for him to be there, just walking around normally. She finally concluded that she was seeing things because of her dream. She was obsessed with her Mamo-chan, of course she would see him everywhere. She picked up her school work, and when she reached for the watch, she heard it ticking. She checked just in case, and sure enough, the hands were moving normally, as if the watch had never broken. She stared at it for so long that she was late to class, and for the first time, she didn't care at all.

Motoki's roommate, Endou, followed him all the way to the arcade. He kept saying, "Seriously, Reika-san is really interested in you!"

"Yeah," Motoki rolled his eyes, "More like interested in geology. We just have the same class together, she probably only wants to copy my notes."

"Oh come on," Endou adjusted his glasses as he tried to keep up with his friend, "She's the most gorgeous girl in the whole school. And when I talk to her in passing, all she talks about is you. I'm telling you, man!"

"That's enough," Motoki sighed, "I know she's pretty... but we're just friends, alright?"

"Whatever you say, Furu-chan. Hey, who is that in front of the arcade?" he pointed at a young man with dark hair, wearing designer casual wear and dark sunglasses. He was staring at the door of the arcade. When Motoki approached him, the stranger turned to him and asked, "Do you work here?"

"Uh, yeah," Motoki answered, feeling a strange vibe from him, "Can I help you?"

"I have some business with this arcade," he said a little mechanically, "I need to get inside."

"Oh!" Motoki grinned, "Are you here for the new part-time position? Did you talk to my Dad already? He owns the building, so I work part-time here too. What's your name? Do you go to college?"

The man took off his sunglasses, and Motoki had to look at him twice, "Say, aren't you... do you live in my building? I think I've seen you around here. Have you heard of Usagi-chan? She's always going on about you."

"Usagi," the man answered. It wasn't so much as a question, or even a statement. It was more like a parrot repeating a new word.

"Ooo-kay!" Motoki smiled at him, and then turned to Endou, "I better teach this guy the ropes. See you after work, Endou-san?"

"Yeah," he grinned, "Call me if you're working late, maybe we can meet up for dinner."

Mamoru blinked his eyes, and they turned a bright white. He stared at Endou, casting his spell, and Endou disappeared. Before Motoki could say anything, he blinked again and stared right into his face, hypnotizing him, "For now on, I'm your best friend, Endou. Let's go inside."

The first customer of the day was a young woman with long hair. She poked her head inside the arcade and called out, "Furuhata-kun, are you here? You left your book in class."

Motoki turned to her, and spoke without his usual warmth, "Oh, hello Reika-san. Come in."

Reika noticed somebody new standing next to her friend, "Oh, hello there, new guy. You're quite the looker. What's your name?"

"What are you talking about?" Motoki answered, a little coldly, "This is my best friend, Endou."

"Oh," Reika took a step back, looking at the man again. She knew Endou, his roommate, and this guy definitely wasn't him. But Motoki had been so serious that she went along with it, "Right, Endou-kun. Well, I brought your text you left in geology," she set the large book on the counter, which flipped open to a page about jade. The new Endou leaned down to examine it.

"What's up Endou, are you interested in gems? It's Reika-san's favorite topic," Motoki said.

Reika was happy to talk to a fellow precious stone enthusiast, "Do you like jade? Well, there's jadeite and nephrite, they're basically the same thing, just different colors. And don't you love this picture of the spodumene, or kunzite as it's sometimes called? But my favorite stone is tanzanite, particularly blue zoisite, it's a lovely color," she blushed suddenly, and said, "Sorry for rambling like that."

"Don't be," he smiled up at her and touched his breast pocket,"I actually carry those exact same four stones on me."

"I'm so excited," Usagi linked her arms through Makoto's and Ami's, "Ami-chan, I can't wait to see your house!"

"You know it's not a house," Ami said apprehensively, "It's a condo."

"And it's not to just hang out," Makoto insisted, "It's a strategy meeting."

"Whatever," Usagi shrugged, "Oh look, there she is! Hey, V-chan, sorry for the wait."

Minako's smile looked a little forced, "Oh, we're still doing that thing, huh? With the name."

"What, you don't like it?" Usagi was giggling, "But it fits you so well!"

"Okay, fine," Minako nudged Usagi carefully, since she was holding the stone sword, "But only you can call me that."

They made their way to the Hikawa Shrine, where Rei was praying in front of the fire, quietly attempting for a vision of the future. Usagi poked her head into Rei's room and said in a stage whisper, "Rei-chan!"

Rei smiled and opened her eyes, "Give me a minute, I'll be right there," she carefully put out her fire and went outside to meet her friends. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the sunset. The color of the sun made her nervous. A reddish-orange color with a hint of black was a bad omen, which didn't make her feel any better about her reading.

"What did you see?" Minako asked when she saw Rei's worried face.

"I was trying to find out what is going to happen next," Rei explained, "It... it wasn't good."

Now Minako looked worried, "So does that mean, in the next fight, we'll be at a disadvantage?"

"I don't know," Rei shrugged. She put on a brave face and said, "Let's go to the meeting, I want to know about the sword."

When they reached Ami's building, Usagi gasped, "It's huge! And beautiful!"

"Yeah, it puts my building to shame," Makoto said as they entered the lobby. Since the entrance was all marble, she warned, "Don't drop the sword, V-chan."

"Hey!" Minako walked backwards, looking at Makoto, "I said that Usagi-chan is the only one allowed to call me..." she tripped and dropped the sword, creating a huge scratch in the marble floor.

"V-chan damaged the marble!" Usagi cried out.

Minako looked at Ami, horrified, "I'm so sorry! What do I do?"

Ami was laughing, "Don't worry. Marble is soft, so it scratches easily. If you look close enough, you'll see plenty more of those all over here. Now let's go upstairs."

She had all of them sit in her living room, and Ami fetched a tiny diamond ring from her mother's bedroom, "Diamond is the hardest substance on Earth. Why don't you see what happens when you hit this with the sword, V-chan?"

"That name really is stuck now, isn't it?" Minako grumbled as she carefully tapped the edge of the sword on the ring. She was horrified when she saw the diamond chip in half, "Oh my God, Ami-chan, your diamond!"

"Don't worry," Ami shrugged, "My Mom collects those, she won't miss that little one," and she turned to address the group, "But you see? This sword can break even the hardest thing in the world. This isn't just ordinary stone. Luna and I have been examining it, comparing it with a piece of the castle we brought back from the Moon. They are both composed of elements that don't exist of Earth. It seemed they were fused together to create the power of the stone. Also, it's very poisonous."

"So the castle was made out of this stuff?" Makoto said, "I remember how it used to glow. The Moon was never that dark and foreboding. There was always a brilliant white glow. Right, Usag..."

They all turned to their princess, who had curled up on the soft couch and fallen asleep. Ami chuckled, "Oh Usagi-chan, you always do this whenever it gets serious."

Makoto brushed some of Usagi's hair out of her face, "She's been going through so much. There's the whole Tuxedo Kamen thing, and going to the Moon and meeting her mother from her past life. It's no wonder she's wiped out."

Makoto carefully carried Usagi into Ami's room, tucked her into bed, and rejoined the meeting. Minako spoke up, "So, somehow we are supposed to use this sword to protect the princess. But it's so mysterious, and we still have no clue on how to use it. And how are we supposed to seal away this enemy anyway?"

Ami, Rei and Makoto shrugged, feeling scared.

Meanwhile, Usagi had woken up after Makoto had shut the bedroom door. She got up to watch the sunset from Ami's window. She couldn't help but compare this moment to the time she woke up in Mamo-chan's bed. It made her heart feel heavy, and a tear dripped out of her eye. She wiped her face, and told herself that she had to be strong and brave, for him. And she decided that, in order to get him off her mind, she should lose herself in the Sailor V game. It was always a happy distraction for her. She tip-toed out of Ami's bedroom, not wanting to bother anyone, and slipped out of the apartment unnoticed.

As she walked toward the arcade, her heart started to rapidly beat. She remembered the man from that morning, and somehow she hoped that he would still be there at the arcade, even though that was impossible. She was shaking by the time she reached her destination, curious and scared. She entered, and was rather disappointed when she saw somebody playing the game. It was a man, and Motoki was leaning over his shoulder, watching him play.

"Hey, Usagi-chan," he greeted, but didn't seem cheerful at all. It bothered Usagi for just a second until she saw just who was playing the game. She felt like the entire world had stopped right then and there.

Mamoru... but it couldn't be... but it looked exactly like him... he stood from the game and grinned at her, "So you're Usagi-chan?"

She couldn't move. He walked up to her, to greet her, and instead he reached down to touch her hair, "That Sailor Moon look must be really popular. You have the same dumpling head as her."

Usagi didn't know what to do. So she continued to stand there, being petrified, staring at him.

Motoki introduced him, "Usagi-chan, this is my best friend, Endou. He works here now."

The man who was but wasn't Mamoru nodded, "I'm a freshman in college. It's nice to meet you," and he extended his hand.

Usagi felt like if she moved, she was going to shatter. But she very carefully reached out and shook his hand. Now her heart was beating even more rapidly, as she felt the same exact warmth coming from him. She looked up into his eyes, which were the same exact blue color, but also very different. She didn't feel like she was going to fall into them, or that she could stare into them forever. They were so cold.

The man who claimed to be Endou nodded at the game, "So I hear you're good at the Sailor V game. Would you show me some tips, Usagi-chan?"

She wanted to nod, or say something, or even move. But she felt that the world had stopped making sense, and nothing was right anymore.

Minako heard a beeping sound in her pocket. Terrified, she took out her pen, which was sounding a tiny alarm. The girls just stared, feeling afraid.

She quickly explained, "Someone is going through the levels of the Sailor V game rapidly. I have to go to the arcade!" she jumped off the couch and went to check on Usagi, and she nearly screamed when she saw her princess was gone.

The four girls all raced to the arcade, fearing that something terrible had happened. When they rushed through the doors, they felt a little relieved at seeing Usagi there, but they all stopped in their tracks when they saw Mamoru Chiba playing with her.

"He's here," Ami whispered, "But he was captured by the Dark Kingdom!"

"Right," Luna said. She had been hiding in a corner of the arcade, watching him, and joined the girls when she saw them rush in, "Usagi-chan and I saw this guy this morning. I've been watching him ever since Usagi-chan showed up here. I don't know what to think."

"That can't be him," Rei said quietly, "There's something wrong with him. Something with his eyes. I have a really bad feeling. We need to keep Usagi-chan away from him."

"Hey, Usagi-chan!" Makoto called out, making Usagi jump. She hadn't seen her friends rush into the arcade. She looked up at the imposter Mamoru, then back to her friends, and finally jumped up and rushed out the door.

"What's going on?" Minako asked, and Usagi quickly replied, "I don't want to talk about it. I'm going home."

"But Usagi-chan."

"I don't want to talk about it and I'm going home," she said robotically.

When school got out the next day, Naru asked Usagi, "Want to come over to my house? I..."

"Sorry!" Usagi seemed cheerful as she rushed out of class, "I can't today."

Naru sighed as her friend exited, "Usagi-chan, what's going on with you?"

"Didn't you hear?" Umino said to her, "She has a crush on the new part-timer at the arcade. That's the rumor floating around school."

Luna had been waiting to pounce near the arcade, and when she saw her master walk briskly by, she emerged and called out, "Usagi-chan! You mustn't go to the arcade. You know that's not him. That's not Mamoru Chiba!"

"I know!" Usagi said, nearly yelling, "I know that." She didn't look down at Luna as she continued to walk, and went inside the arcade.

He was playing the Sailor V game again, and talking to Motoki, "This game is a lot of fun, Furuhata. No matter how many levels I beat, there are still more. It's like Sailor V is actually fighting. Or... possibly someone is operating the game from somewhere. Oh, Usagi-chan!" he turned and grinned his cold smile, "You're here. Good. I've been waiting for you. Have a turn, won't you?"

He got up from the chair, and Usagi took his place. As she started to play, he put his hands on her shoulders and leaned over her head, making her intensely nervous as he said, "You are so good at this game."

"Well," her voice shook, "You're not bad either, Endou."

"But you play like you are one with V. Like you really are her."

"Well," Usagi managed a grin as she thought about Minako, "She is pretty cool."

"You act like you know her," Endou said, "Actually, I saw her one time myself."

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah," he leaned closer to her, and began playing with her hair, "She was really cool."

"I..." she wasn't sure what to say, and it didn't help that she could feel his breath on her neck, "I bet she's better than me."

"Better than Sailor Moon, you mean?"

Petrified, she turned around, "No no, I meant the game, me playing the game, I..."

He ran his hands over the buns on her head, and traced his fingers along her jaw, neck, and cheeks, forcing her to look into his eyes, "Sorry, it's just that your hairstyle makes you look exactly like Sailor Moon. Do you ever wonder where Sailor Moon and Sailor V are when they're not fighting? Maybe they have some kind of secret place, like a control room, somewhere."

Usagi shot up, clutching the Silver Crystal that was hidden under her shirt, "I... I have to go now, I..." and she turned to walk away.

He reached out and grabbed her wrist, "Usagi-chan! Wait, look at me," she obeyed, and his eyes seemed more cold than they ever had as he said, "Come back tomorrow. I want to know everything about you, Usagi-chan."

She slipped her hand out of his grasp and said, "Goodbye," as she rushed out. He watched her flee, wondering how she didn't fall under his hypnosis.

Usagi ran as if she were being chased. She didn't like the feeling of looking into his eyes at all. It made her head spin, and feel light-headed. If only he didn't look so much like Mamoru...

"It's Usako," she said out loud, "Call me Usako, not Usagi-chan."

Ami and Makoto were nearby, on the way to the arcade themselves, and watched their princess slow her running to a walk so she could cry all the way home. The two girls looked at each other, knowing it was best to leave Usagi alone, but felt guilty about it.

They found another new person outside the arcade, peering in through the glass doors. It was a woman with long hair, and she looked very fancy and made up, as if she were about to meet someone important. She grumbled to herself, "Does he ever leave his side? Furuhata-kun, when did you become friends with a cute guy like that?"

Ami and Makoto couldn't help but overhear, and Makoto stepped up to her, "Um, excuse me, do you happen to know Furu-chan? Or his friend?"

The woman blushed a little, "Yes, I suppose. My name's Reika. Furuhata-kun and I go to college together, we're in a lot of the same classes and clubs. But I don't know about his friend. He _did _have a best friend named Endou, but that's not him at all. The Endou I knew was a lot shorter, with great big glasses, kind of geeky, but I haven't seen him around anywhere. I've been asking around the university, and nobody else knows this new Endou either. Why do you ask?"

Ami spoke up, "We're concerned about this new person too. It's good to know we aren't the only ones with suspicions. Thanks."

There had originally been a meeting planned for that night in the control room, but it was far too risky with this Mamoru lookalike around. Minako and Artemis were hiding around one corner, waiting for the arcade to close for the night, while Makoto was waiting around another.

Artemis looked up at Minako, "You know we can't let him play Sailor V anymore. He's trying to find our control room and you know it."

"But here's the thing," Minako pondered, "If he really is Tuxedo Kamen, Mamoru Chiba, then we have to be careful with how we approach him. We can't just ambush him."

Makoto, however, had a different idea. When she saw Motoki and the man who claimed to be Endou lock the arcade doors, she rushed up to them, "Hey, hold it. You two. What are you trying to pull with our Usagi? What are you scheming?"

He blinked at her, looking deep into her eyes, and she gasped, frozen on the spot.

Usagi jumped when she heard Makoto's voice on her communicator, "Guys, the meeting is back on. And it's an emergency. Get down here right now!" Usagi dashed out of her house and ran with all her might to the arcade. She spotted Rei, Minako and Ami outside the arcade, and they went through their secret entrance and their control room together. Makoto was inside, pacing frantically.

"Mako-chan, what's wrong?" Usagi asked, since her friend was never usually like this, "Why is the meeting an emergency?"

"Usagi! I've been waiting for you! You have to stay away from that guy! He's the enemy, and he's after the princess."

"That guy?" Usagi said fearfully, "You mean Endou-san? But... how can you know for sure if he's the enemy?"

"He is!" Makoto insisted angrily, "What will happen if he gets his hands on the Silver Crystal?"

Usagi instinctively took the crystal from under her shirt, clenching it in her fist. She spoke calmly, trying to get Makoto to relax, "I have it on me all the time, you know that. Now what's wrong? Why are you acting so frantic?"

Their alarm suddenly went off. The girls jumped, and Minako screamed, "That's the intruder alarm!"

"What?" Rei yelled over the siren, "But we're the only ones who can get in here!"

Makoto's demeanor suddenly changed. She lunged for Usagi's hand that held the crystal. Minako instantly knew that something was wrong. Immediately, she gave Makoto a classic Sailor V kick, right in her face. Makoto fell backwards, hitting her head on a computer, and blacked out.

"Mako-chan!" Usagi, Ami and Rei screamed, looking back and forth between their two friends.

The siren stopped, and they heard footsteps behind them, and a voice saying, "Oh well, I guess she wouldn't have worked in my plan anyway."

They all turned around to see Tuxedo Kamen entering the control room, followed closely by Motoki. Tuxedo Kamen grinned evilly, "So the control room was directly under the Sailor V game all along. You must have put up quite a powerful shield to keep me from detecting it."

Usagi slowly backed up, terrified. After all the times she had longed to see Tuxedo Kamen again, this was all wrong. She started wondering if this was even real.

Tuxedo Kamen nodded at the unconscious Makoto, "She was so easily susceptible to my whims. She brought us here without hesitation," and he began to chuckle in a very cruel way.

"Transform everyone!" Minako cried out, "Venus Power, Make Up!"  
>"Mercury Power, Make Up!"<p>

"Mars Power, Make Up!"

Usagi still could barely move. Her body wouldn't allow her to transform, much less say the incantation.

Now a hypnotized Motoki rushed up to her, grabbing at the crystal in her hand, screaming, "Give me the Silver Crystal!"

Now Usagi was moving. She backed up against a wall, crying out, "Noo!" But it wasn't enough. Motoki pinned her to the wall and pried the crystal out of her stiff hands.

"Sailor V Kick!" Sailor Venus gave him a swift roundhouse kick to the neck, nearly bringing him to his feet. She removed the whip from her waist and immediately attacked, "Venus Love-Me Chain!" The whip struck him across his face, and he dropped the crystal. Venus dove for it, catching it before it hit the ground.

Tuxedo Kamen attacked with a telekinetic power that was identical to the enemy. Sailor Venus felt a strong blast of energy hit her, and she tried to hold her ground. The ground started to shake, and equipment fell to the floor. Mercury and Mars lost their footing, and fell to the ground. Tuxedo Kamen blinked and glared at Venus with a brutal look, and Venus felt as if she had been slapped hard across the face. She slipped, dropping the crystal. It floated in mid-air, and then sailed into Tuxedo Kamen's hands.

"At last!" he cried out, "I have it! The Legendary Silver Crystal!"

Venus struggled to get to her feet, but with the ground was still trembling, "Usagi-chan! Transform! You have to fight him! He has the crystal!"

Usagi was just staring at the scene in disbelief. Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor V had been battling. It couldn't possibly be real. This was all a scary dream. Tuxedo Kamen had been captured by the Dark Kingdom, so he couldn't be in front of her.

Luna frantically cried out, "Usagi-chan! You have to fight! This Tuxedo Kamen is an impostor!" and when she realized that all the soldiers were disabled, she leaped on Tuxedo Kamen, biting his neck.

"Get off of me!" he cried out, and he ripped Luna off of him and threw her hard against a computer monitor. She landed with a loud crack.

"Luna!" Usagi was now at her feet, and rushed over to her cat. She was still, and blood started to ooze out from her, "No, Luna, talk to me, LUNA!"

She was unresponsive.

Usagi knew now, without a shadow of a doubt, that he wasn't the real Tuxedo Kamen, "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

After she transformed, she tried to wake up Luna again, gently touching her. But now there was a lot of blood coming from the cat. Usagi started to cry.

Tuxedo Kamen gasped as the stone in his hand began to glow. He stared at it, curiously.

"Usagi-chan!" Ami made her way to her feet, "Use the Moon Stick! Hurry!"

Without hesitation, she held the Moon Stick high and called out, "Moon Healing Escalation!" Makoto stirred, Luna gave a raspy breath, and Motoki groaned. The light faded from the Silver Crystal.

Usagi turned to the impostor, "I won't allow you to use your good looks against other people! You are a fake Tuxedo Kamen! But I am the real Sailor Moon, and in the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

A jolt of energy shot out of the Moon Stick, attacking Tuxedo Kamen, but a bright light surrounded him, blocking the attack. A woman emerged from the light, her long hair flowing behind her. She smiled at him, "You've done well, Tuxedo Kamen. Now that I have the Silver Crystal, I can be rid of you sailor soldiers. Look around you, this will be your graveyard!"

"Who are you?" Usagi demanded.

"Oh princess," the woman smiled at her, "No matter how many times our paths cross, you are always such a frail little girl. Don't you recognize me? I'm far more beautiful than I used to be, so long ago."

"You!" Minako said, cradling Luna and Artemis, "You're that woman!"

"I am Queen Beryl," she introduced, "The queen of the empire of darkness, the Dark Kingdom. Princess Serenity, I'm sure you would love to be killed by your own Prince Endymion, wouldn't you?"

Usagi was sure her heart stopped. No. It couldn't be. That wasn't him at all.

"Mamo-chan?" she asked quietly. He just sneered at her.


	13. Act 12: Queen Metallia

Act 12: Queen Metallia

"It's not true," Usagi said in disbelief, "It can't be true. No. Tuxedo Kamen, look at me! Mamo-chan!"

"Calm down, Usagi-chan," Ami cried out, "He's just being manipulated by the enemy. If we defeat Queen Beryl..."

Queen Beryl interrupted her with her cruel laughter, "Princess, the prince that you knew and loved is gone. When you sealed the power of the Silver Crystal inside of his body, it was in vain. He died anyway. He was resurrected with the power of our great ruler, Queen Metallia! Now he has become the most powerful warrior for the Dark Kingdom!"

Usagi felt a sharp pain in her chest. He really did die after all, and was now just a puppet for evil. Tears welled up in her eyes again as Tuxedo Kamen raised his hand and emitted a strong burst of energy that shattered the walls and tore a massive hole in the ceiling of the arcade. Debris flew everywhere, and the girls screamed.

"I'll kill him!" Makoto grunted, preparing to attack.

"No, Jupiter!" Ami called out, "If we fight back, you'll destroy our control room! Look out!" a large computer fell over, nearly hitting Sailor Jupiter, and they both dodged it. It fell right next to Motoki, who was still groaning on the floor. Mercury and Jupiter looked at each other, knowing that they should do the right thing, and created a transport sphere around Motoki, teleporting him outside.

"What's going on?" he mumbled once he realized he was flying. He looked up at his rescuers, and gasped, "Y-you!"

"Don't worry, Furu-chan," Sailor Jupiter grinned at him, "We'll defend the arcade!" and they quickly flew back to the battle.

"We need a place to attack!" Mercury said as she assessed the scene, "I think I can create a shield, if I can calculate the temporal axis... yes, it should work!... Super-Dimensional Space Manifestation!"

Everyone inside the control room was now contained in an area similar to the vacuum of space. Queen Beryl called out over the loud wind, "It doesn't matter where we fight, the outcome will be the same. Watch!" her hair seemed to snake to life, and it reached out and suddenly grabbed Usagi by her neck, torso and legs, lifting her high into the air. Usagi screamed and gagged.

"Usagi-chan!" the girls cried out, not sure how to help their friend.

"Now tell me," Beryl brought Sailor Moon close to her face, "What is the power of the Silver Crystal? It's the most powerful object in the universe, you must know all its secrets. Well?" her hair squeezed Sailor Moon's neck tighter, making her flail, "I will use it to gain immortality and boundless power!"

Queen Beryl ignored Sailor Venus's cries of, "Let go of the Princess!" as she continued to explain, "I've been waiting so long for this, since the ancient times. Ever since the year of the abnormal activity of Father Sun, and that meteor shower that brought darkness, the goddess of evil. She told me to invade the moon and take the crystal with all its power. Yes, I've wanted to kill you, little moon princess, ever since I first knelt before Queen Metallia!"

"Release her, Beryl!" Sailor Venus screamed out again, "I remember you! You're the one who started that rebellion on Earth, and made everyone fight against the moon people, and ruined everything! And I remember when you murdered Prince Endymion, which brought about the death of our princess! And I most especially remember the moment when I pummeled you to death!"

"Yes," Beryl chuckled, "I died dishonorably. But thanks to that foolish Queen Serenity, the seal on my own queen wasn't strong enough to contain her forever. It's all because of the mystery of space and time that we are all back here, repeating our old lives. But this time, it will be different."

"That creature is using you, Beryl!" Venus cried out.

"You think so? Beryl chuckled, "You really think I intend to hand over the crystal to my great ruler? No. I will be the one to rule this world, with my handsome husband at my side, Prince Endymion!"

That did it. Usagi tried attacking Queen Beryl with all her might, attempting to rip out her hair while she cried out, "No! Endymion, no!"

"Venus Love-me Chain!" attacked Sailor Venus, but Beryl deflected the whip with her telekinesis, knocking Venus to the ground. She grunted as she got to her feet, "Now you've really made me angry."

She held out her hand and called out, "Sword of the Moon! Our holy blade that protects our princess! Come to my hand!" and with a bright burst of light, the stone sword magically appeared in her grip.

"Give it to me, Venus!" Makoto reached out and snatched the sword from Minako. She couldn't stand to see Usagi in pain anymore, and Sailor Jupiter sliced off Beryl's hair. But the remainder that was on Usagi only coiled back to life, strangling her even more. Usagi's vision was going black. She panicked, not wanting to die yet, not until she had her Endymion once more. She stared up at his fuzzy image.

The Silver Crystal began to glow again in Tuxedo Kamen's hand.

"Silver Millennium, our glorious empire!" Sailor Venus held the sword up high again, "Give strength to my hand and my sword!" and she charged at Beryl, stabbing her straight through her stomach.

The sword suddenly lit up with a brilliant bright light, and Sailor Venus pulled it out of her enemy in surprise. She finally realized just what kind of stone it was made out of: silver crystal.

"No," Beryl moaned as she lay dying. She began to melt and warp as she looked up at Tuxedo Kamen, "I finally had you, Prince Endymion. That was all I wanted. I couldn't bear to see you with the princess. I've always loved you, always..." and she shriveled up and vanished. Only the beryl stone in her crown remained.

The longer Minako stared at the shining sword, the easier she saw something written on the blade. It was in the old language, but she understood it perfectly. In a trance, she read it out loud, "This sword will glow once again when the Silver Crystal, hidden inside she who will become queen, begins to move in time with her heart. Then she will awaken the great power of the Moon, and pray at the holy tower, and bring peace to the kingdom once more."

"It's an inscription about Princess Serenity, a prophecy!" Ami gasped.

Luna thought quickly, "This must be the method of sealing!"

Tuxedo Kamen absorbed this information, and when the sword's light extinguished and Sailor Venus fainted, he rushed up and grabbed her body and the sword, then dashed toward the portal that Beryl had created.

"Venus, no!" Usagi cried out, and she instinctively ran after her friend, straight into the portal. The other soldiers tried to chase her, but it closed after Sailor Moon slipped through, sending out an electric shock that made them stumble. The shield disappeared, and the damaged control room was quiet once more.

"They're gone!" Makoto shouted.

"What are we gonna do?" Rei said frantically, "We have to follow them."

"Calm down," Luna said, rushing to one of the remaining working computers, "This has happened before. We can track Sailor Moon in that dimension. Look," she pulled up a diagram of the world, and the blinking light that signaled their princess was steadily heading north.

Usagi definitely knew she was in a cold place. There was white everywhere she looked: white snow, white ice, white sky... she felt like she was blinded. Shivering, she reached into her pocket and took out Mamoru's pocket watch, comforting herself by touching its face. It ticked away, as if nothing bizarre was happening at all. She pursed her lips together, desperately trying to think of what to do. Her true love had died, and his body was now possessed by the enemy. How could anything be right in the world again?

She saw a tiny light in the distance. Realizing that it must be the Silver Crystal, she started to move toward it. But the more she traveled, the more frozen she became. Still weak from being strangled before, she soon collapsed into the snow and ice.

"We lost her!" Luna slammed her paws on the computer in frustration, "Every time I've tried to analyze this point on the planet, I lose the signal."

"Which point is it?" Artemis asked.

"The Arctic Circle," Luna stated, "The North Pole."

"Luna!" Ami gasped, "Wasn't that the place you said could be the location of the Dark Kingdom?"

"Right," Luna nodded, "Most likely, that's right where they're headed."

"Then teleport us there!" Rei yelled, "We have to catch up to them!"

"I'm coming too," Luna said, but when she jumped off the computer, she wobbled and fell to the floor. She grunted and said, "Or maybe I can just monitor you from here. I'll enter the coordinates."

Sailors Mercury, Jupiter and Mars were sent north in a bright flash of light. It could be seen from outside the arcade, and the crowd that had gathered after the explosion gasped.

"What was that?" Motoki wondered aloud, holding his head, "I can't believe there's a huge hole in our building... and Ami-chan and Makoto-chan are..."

Inside the control room, Artemis gently licked Luna's face, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Artemis," she sighed, "I just don't think that wound from the battle has healed completely yet."

Mercury's voice crackled through the computer, "Luna, can you hear me?"

"Yes Mercury! I can see you on the monitor. Keep heading north."

"North, got it," Mercury answered, "We're directly above the Arctic Ocean, all we can see are ice flows and..." her voice was swallowed in static, and Luna lost her signal. She yowled in frustration, knowing that the girls were on their own.

They floated over the ocean in their transport sphere, desperately looking for signs of life.

"It's the same as far as the eye can see," Makoto said, "Where did they go?"

"Look guys," Ami held out her hands, "Where did this mist come from?"

"It's not mist," Rei said in her seer's misty voice, "This is the distortion of space. It's evil solidifying. This is why we can't find her signal. It's... the mist is telling us not to come closer."

"The Dark Kingdom must be nearby then," Makoto nodded, "Hey! I think I see land!"

They flew closer, and discovered that it was a huge rock sticking out from the ocean, and a massive castle was carved in it.

"This is it," Ami said resolutely, "Let's go inside."

Usagi woke up face down on a cold, stone floor. Sailor Venus and the sword were at her side.

"So you followed me here," came a cruel voice.

Usagi looked up to see Tuxedo Kamen standing before her. He slowly made his way to her, and she sat up and pleaded in Serenity's voice, "Tuxedo Kamen... Endymion... it's me, Serenity. Don't you remember me?"

The crystal glowed and vibrated in his hands. He paused, staring at it. He looked down at Usagi, and slowly knelt down to her, his hands reached toward her as his lips came closer. Usagi held her breath.

He tightly grabbed her neck and lifted her off the ground with one hand. She screamed with all her might.

"Tell me!" he ordered, "If this is the Silver Crystal, why isn't it letting out any power? Is there any more Silver Crystal besides this one and the sword?"

She tried to speak, but his grip on her was too tight, and she just coughed. She couldn't believe this was happening.

"What is the great power of the moon?" he continued to interrogate her, "Is it a power from another Silver Crystal? Tell me where it is!"

Usagi tried to reach for the Silver Crystal in his other hand, and when her finger brushed against his, the crystal emitted a huge burst of power that sent her flying out of his grip, and she landed on the floor with a thud.

"Sailor Moon!" she heard her friends calling out for her, "Sailor Venus!" Minako stirred, and she and Sailor Moon go to their feet as the other soldiers joined them.

"So that was its power," Tuxedo Kamen said casually, "You can control it, Sailor Moon, can't you?"

The room suddenly became darker and shook a little as a great, black mass rose from the ground. It spoke in a raspy voice, "Descendant of the Moon Kingdom. I see you have arrived at my secret empire, the Dark Kingdom."

The black mass spread across the floor and the walls, and soon it reared up and formed a face. It had a gnashing mouth, cruel white eyes, and a spot on its forehead that was darker than the darkest space.

"Queen Metallia," Usagi gasped.

Tuxedo Kamen held up a hand, preparing an attack. The black mass swirled around him, and the blast of energy was more powerful than they had ever felt. Screaming, they were knocked to their feet.

Usagi saw a bright, small portal open up, and Luna stepped out of it, "Luna, what are you doing here?"

"I found your coordinates after you went underground," she explained, "But your communicators don't work. Usagi-chan, Tuxedo Kamen is getting his strength from the light you put inside him. You're gonna need to make the Silver Crystal whole in order to fulfill the prophesy on the sword and seal away Queen Metallia. But it has to happen now! This final battle must happen _right now_."

"Power, you say?" Queen Metallia had listened to Luna's lecture, "How do I obtain this power? Give me the secret of that jewel's might!"

Luna stared into the face of their old enemy, "That power is meant to bury you forever, Queen Metallia!"

"Such a stupid little princess," Queen Metallia laughed, "Do you honestly think you can truly seal me away? Ha! Your corpse will rot here for all eternity!"

Mars would not let anyone speak that way to her princess, "_Akuryo taisan!_"

The attack was absorbed into Queen Metallia, which only made her darker and more massive. She laughed and called, "More! Give me more energy!"

Mars gasped, "Our attacks won't work against her!"

"Then what do we do?" Venus asked desperately, "We can't even fight Tuxedo Kamen, how are we supposed to fight that thing without our attacks? We have to get that piece of the crystal out of him, and if he's one with Queen Metallia, then so be it!" she held her hands up high, "Venus, my planet of love! Grant me an attack with the power of love!"

"Venus!" Sailor Moon screamed, fearing that the attack wouldn't work.

A glowing gold heart appeared between Venus' hands, and she sent it flying at Tuxedo Kamen, "Rolling Heart Vibration!"

Tuxedo Kamen just shrugged, reached out a hand, and deflected the attack back at Venus, knocking her down.

Usagi knew immediately what had to be done. The Moon Stick appeared in her hand and she cried out, "Moon Healing Escalation!"

The bright light filled the room and washed over Tuxedo Kamen. But when it faded, he glared at her with even more malice, "It's no use. You can't defeat me!"

Usagi gasped. She had thought that her attack would cure him for sure. She knew she had to defeat Queen Metallia to bring him back to normal, but she couldn't do that without the light from the crystal. The thought went around and around in her head. If he really did die and was reanimated, that meant he was changed forever. She would have to defeat this new foe as they had done to the other agents of the Dark Kingdom. She would have to kill him, her true love. The thought was unbearable. She started sobbing, and pulled on her hair and cried out, "Noo! I can't!"

The Silver Crystal vibrated in Tuxedo Kamen's hands once again, and began to emit a tiny light.

"What's happening, Luna?" Mars asked.

"The crystal is reacting to the confusion in Usagi-chan's heart," Luna said sadly.

"So," Mercury said, "her heart is actually controlling the crystal."

Through her tears, Usagi looked resolutely at Tuxedo Kamen. He stared back at her, confused. He looked as if he didn't know what he should do, and he angrily began another energy attack. This time he was even stronger, and the girls dropped to the floor before his attack could hurt them.

Usagi had had enough. She knew what had to be done. There was no choice; it was the only way. She grabbed the sword and rushed toward Tuxedo Kamen. As she swung the sword at him, she realized that this was possibly the moment that they had been reborn for.

He dodged, and she found herself face to face with him. She looked up at him and saw a flicker of that familiar blue warmth in his eyes. She quickly pulled him toward her and kissed him, once last time. A tear leaked from her eye as she savored the final moment with Mamo-chan.

Gripped the sword tightly, she stabbed Tuxedo Kamen in the chest. Then she quickly turned the sword on herself, repeating her past suicide.


	14. Act 13: Reincarnation

Act 13: Reincarnation

_Endymion_, she thought as she lay dying, bleeding to death, _I love you. You are my first and only love. Even if we are reborn, I know we will meet again, and we will fall in love all over again. Our souls are going to cross time and space, and maybe next time we can find happiness. Endymion..._

Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter stared in horror as they watched their princess die. Finally Venus screamed out, "Princess! We... we weren't reborn for this! Fate can't repeat itself! Nooo!"

The Silver Crystal hovered over Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen's corpses. Tuxedo Kamen began to glow a little, and a light shot out of his body and absorbed itself back into the crystal.

"It reunited!" Luna cried out in shock.

The Silver Crystal once again shone with a brilliant light, which hardened around the prince and princess, creating a crystal shield. It grew larger and larger, creating a shining mausoleum.

"Make it stop!" Mercury cried out, "That crystal can't grow here!"

Queen Metallia laughed, "Oh my, what a strong light. This energy is flooding my empire. I... I am free! I can move where I please! Finally, this world will be mine!" her darkness overflowed and surrounded the crystal tomb.

"No!" Luna cried out, "She's going to swallow them!"

And sure enough, Queen Metallia rose to the surface through the roof, and the crystal tomb was gone. She had absorbed the crystal.

"Princess!" Luna screamed, feeling hopeless. She remembered taking her oath of fealty to the princess, long ago. The Queen had told her that she must do everything to protect Princess Serenity, even if she was reborn and her body changed. Luna felt faint as she realized she had ultimately failed, and collapsed to the ground.

The castle started to shake and crumble around them. Mercury held Luna tightly as they ran for the surface. When they emerged, they were all stunned. The ocean that they were just hovering over had turned to stone. It was now a rocky desert. Above it, Queen Metallia was growing so large that she was filling up the sky. Her massive face looked down at her new domain, "After being sealed away for so long, I am finally at my fullest power! I am free! And everything on this planet will be mine!"

Makoto, Ami and Rei looked at each other, not knowing what to do. They turned to their leader, who resolutely raised her hand in the air and cried out, "Venus Power!"

The rest did the same, "Mercury Power!", "Mars Power!", "Jupiter Power!"

"Sailor Planet Attack!"

Their attack went straight at Queen Metallia, who absorbed it and grew even larger, "Yes, sailor soldiers. Give me more energy! Your attacks are nothing but food to me, now that I have the Silver Crystal!"

They just gaped at their enemy. Luna stirred in Mercury's arms, moaning.

"Guys, she's hurt," Ami said, "We have to go back. We can leave her with Artemis."

Venus stared angrily up at Queen Metallia, trying desperately to think of a plan.

"There's nothing we can do here!" Mercury yelled, "We can't attack her! Let's go back to our base!"

"Fine," Venus grumbled before they teleported back to their home.

Artemis was desperate to see them, "What's happening out there? Where's Usa... Luna, what's wrong?"

Ami lay Luna by Artemis's side, and Luna gave out a whimper of sadness.

Sailor Venus was pacing as she debriefed Artemis, "Queen Metallia has been set free. She's filling up the sky over the Arctic Circle and is growing larger and larger every second. She swallowed up the princess and Prince Endymion, after they... she killed him and herself, and the Silver Crystal formed a barrier to protect them."

"Metallia is using the crystal," Artemis sighed, "Guys, this is not good. This is what's been happening here," he switched on a monitor, which was playing a news report.

"An abnormal cold front is sweeping over many parts of the globe, creating hurricane force winds. Many countries have declared a state of emergency. Evacuate to a safe location calmly and swiftly!"

"She's going to take over the whole planet," Ami said quietly.

"What about the prince and princess?" Rei asked, "Are they safe?"

"Usagi-chan is alive!" Luna called out, making everyone jump, "The Silver Crystal is protecting the both of them, and healing them!"

"Then we have to go back!" Sailor Venus declared, "We have to rescue our princess and get the Silver Crystal back, then defeat Queen Metallia before she takes over the planet!"

They hastily joined hands, teleporting back to the Arctic Circle.

Luna stood to join them, groaning as she did so. Artemis dashed to her side, "Don't push yourself! Look, the wound you got from Tuxedo Kamen has opened up again. You need to relax."

"I can't, Artemis!" she insisted, "This is all my fault!"

"How could any of this be your fault?" Artemis asked.

"I forced Usagi-chan to fight the person she loved. She was so confused... Artemis, let's go to the Moon!"

"What?"

"We have to go to the Prayer Room, where the Crystal Tower once stood. We have to."

Not wanting to doubt Luna, Artemis set the coordinates for the crumbled Moon Kingdom. When they arrived, Luna rushed to the pillar, crying out, "Queen! Please appear before us again, Queen Serenity! You have to release the great power of the moon to stop Queen Metallia and save everyone! Please!"

There was silence.

"Luna," Artemis said quietly, "We..."

"I can pray," Luna continued, "I'll pray in the princess's place. Just please help us! Usagi-chan, you are not dead! You can't die!"

Artemis looked up at Earth, "Look at that. The Earth is being covered in a shadow. It's completely dark." He tried not to think about what was happening on the surface. The winds would be toppling buildings, people would be dying, or even killing each other after being infused with Queen Metallia's evil. The entire planet was in chaos.

There was no more sky, only Queen Metallia.

"It can't be too late, can it?" Sailor Jupiter asked.

"Of course not," Sailor Venus said confidently, "The Silver Crystal can't be absorbed that easily! There must be a way to strike her down and protect the princess. Even if we can't seal her ourselves, we have to give our princess an opportunity to do so. We have to use our greatest power, the metamorphosis of our guardian planets!"

"You mean our transformation powers?" Mercury said.

"We can use our pens!" Mars said, and the four of them tightly held their transformation pens as if they were the greatest weapons in the world.

"This is it!" Venus said, "Once we give up this power, we have nothing. When a sailor soldier gives up her pen, she is laying down her life. Are you ready?"

They all nodded, with no hesitation.

Sailor Venus summoned their sword, which was glowing with white light, "Holy sword that protects the princess, shine brightly upon us. Pierce through the darkness and reach our princess. We offer you this power with our lives. Princess! Prince! You are not dead!"

She held up her pen, "Venus Power!"

"Jupiter Power!"

"Mars Power!"

"Mercury Power!"

"MAKE UP!"

A brilliantly strong burst of energy, guided by their pens, flew through the air at Queen Metallia. The entire Arctic Circle lit up. But once it reached Queen Metallia, the attack simply deflected back down to them. Their pens shattered. Their bodies flew hundreds of feet in the air, and they landed hard on the rocky surface. Their bodies snapped, and the four of them lay dead in pools of blood.

"What foolish soldiers," Queen Metallia laughed down at their corpses, and continued to swallow the Earth.

_Princess Serenity tip-toed out of her bedchambers, trying not to disturb anyone. But before she could make it to the teleporter, Venus caught her._

_ "Aha! Caught you, princess! I hope you're not going to see Prince Endymion again, are you? It's dangerous to go there just for fun!"_

_ "It's not just for fun!" Serenity insisted, "Besides, you've never been in love! You have no idea how it feels!" she stuck her tongue out ungracefully and rushed to the teleporter. _

_ "Oh princess," Venus sighed, "You will never learn, will you?" and she followed her to Earth. It didn't take long to locate Serenity; she was in Endymion's garden. The prince had an arm around her, and they were both talking with Kunzite._

_ "Princess!" Venus called out, "Come with me, we are going home right now! This is forbidden and you know it!"_

_ "Venus, dear," Kunzite smiled at her, "Let the princess have her fun. She's not harming anyone."_

_ Venus blushed and crossed her arms. Even though everyone knew about her and Kunzite, she didn't want it paraded around, "It's the law. The oldest law."_

_ "There's nothing wrong with curiosity, Venus," Kunzite continued, "She's safe here, go home."_

_ She didn't want to, but she obeyed. Once she was back at the palace, she went to talk to the first soldier she found, which was Mercury._

_ "What's wrong, Venus? Not fighting with Kunzite again, I hope? Zoisite and I never have fights."_

_ "It's not that," Venus sighed, "I'm just worried about the princess. Someday she's going to be Queen, and she will be in charge of watching over the Earth people and protecting the Silver Crystal. I just don't want her to ruin her life by falling in love."_

_ Serenity and Endymion were in an embrace, looking out at the ocean. Serenity smiled, "It's incredible, all that water. We have barely any on the Moon. And I love this breeze, and the smell of the ocean... it all feels so calm. I'm safe here."_

_ "It is relaxing," Endymion agreed, 'Tell me about life on the Moon."_

_ "It's nothing compared to this," she explained, "It's peaceful in a different way. You know that, I've brought you there many times. You should come again soon."_

_ "I will," he brushed her cheek, "What does the Earth look like from the Moon?"_

_ "You already know that."_

_ "Tell me, I like to hear you say it."_

_ She smiled, "It's like a beautiful blue crystal ball. But," she leaned in toward him, "I prefer the view from here." _

_ They passionately kissed for a very long time, one with each other, and feeling nothing but pure happiness and love. _

_ "You're so warm, Endymion," Serenity said as she rested her head against his chest, and he lay his head on top of hers, between her buns, "I can truly feel my power whenever I'm with you. It flutters in my heart. I don't want to move from here. Can we just stay here forever? For all eternity... Endymion, what's that?" _

_ He opened his eyes and followed her gaze back out to the ocean. _

_ "It's a rain cloud," he explained, "Remember, I told you about rain."_

_ "I remember. But it's different. That cloud is ominous. I have a very bad feeling."_

_ "I know," Endymion nodded, "I don't like it either. There's so much unrest here, and there have been talks of rebellion. People are creating some strange stone circles, summoning something. There's one near that cloud, actually..." he hesitated before saying, "Let's go to the Moon. I want to get away from here for just a little while."_

_ The rebellion happened then. The people of Earth stormed the Moon Castle, waging war with the people of the moon. Endymion stared in horror from the window of Serenity's bedchamber, while she wept at his side. _

_ "I have to go," Endymion said, putting on his armor and sheathing his sword, "I have to stop this madness!"_

_ "I'm coming too!" she rushed to retrieve the Silver Crystal from its container near her bed, and clutched it closely to her chest._

_ "No, Serenity," he quickly embraced her, "I want you to be safe."_

_ "Wherever you are, I am safe."_

_ He gave her a quick kiss before they rushed outside. There was a woman standing above the crowd, crying out orders, "Kill them all! Find the Queen and take her crystal! With it, we will be all-powerful!"_

_ Endymion pulled out his sword and charged at her, "What are you doing? Stop this at once!"_

_ She turned to him, smiling, "Endymion, it's you!" A black mass with a frightening face emerged from the woman's body, controlling her. Her eyes glowed white, and she leaped from her podium with her sword and brutally stabbed Prince Endymion._

_ "NOOO!" Serenity rushed to his side, "Endymion! No! You can't die!"_

_ The woman seemed to regain control of her body. She looked down at what she had done, horrified, and ran off with tears in her eyes. _

_ "Endymion!" Serenity cradled her lover, "Endymion, don't die! I won't live without you! I can't!"_

_ Once there was nothing else to be done, she grabbed his sword and plunged it into her chest. The last thing she heard were her protectors calling out to her, and she laid down beside Endymion as she bled to death. _

_ "Endymion," Serenity whispered, "We will be reborn on your planet someday, I know it. There we are going to be happy. I'll keep the Silver Crystal close to me, here, in my chest, and when we are reborn it will still be there, and we can both protect it, and we will be happy."_

_ Serenity weakly opened her eyes _and found herself surrounded by darkness. Her heart was beating loudly in her ears. Wondering where she was, she looked down at her crystal, which had a faint glow, giving her a tiny amount of light.

"Endymion?" she looked down and saw Tuxedo Kamen, lying dead by her side.

She felt her chest where she had stabbed herself with the sword, and oddly enough, her wound was gone. But there was a strange sound of crunching glass on her person, and she took out the pocket watch. It had been smashed by the blade.

Usagi felt anxious, realizing that of course the blade couldn't hurt her. It was made of Silver Crystal, all it would do was heal her. But Tuxedo Kamen was obviously dead. Tears instantly sprung from her eyes. It wasn't fair that she came back to life alone.

A tear splashed against the crystal, and it made a chiming sound as it evolved into the shape of a lotus.

A horrifying sound of screaming filled Usagi's ears. It took her a moment to realize she was hearing what was happening in the outside world. Death and destruction was happening everywhere. People were turning evil. Then she heard Metallia's voice, "Beautiful hearts of darkness, destroy one another! Turn this world into a planet of death! It is glorious to finally have the Silver Crystal!"

Sailor Moon jumped to her feet when she realized what was going on. She was _inside _of Queen Metallia! She looked around, not knowing what to do, her heart beating at a rapid pace.

"Oh, little Heir to the Moon Kingdom, I see you've awakened!" Metallia's voice was all around her, "You're an impudent little one, aren't you? But you're in my hands now, and I will destroy you, once and for all!"

The Silver Crystal was humming with such power that it was floating between Sailor Moon's hands. This was going to be the battleground, she realized. She held the glowing crystal above her head.

"What's happening?" Metallia called out, "My body is getting warmer!"

Usagi focused all of her energy into the crystal, and she was soon blanketed by its soothing light. She closed her eyes, feeling the power all around her, and when she opened them, she was surprised to find she was encased in some kind of large cage made of silver crystal. She peered through it, and all she could see was a desert of rocks.

Tuxedo Kamen was still lying by her side, and now that it was brighter, she could see his body more clearly. That was when she realized that he didn't have a stab would either. Did the crystal possibly heal him too? She held his hand and could easily feel his warmth. It grew warmer, and his fingers closed around hers.

"Mamo-chan?" she whispered hesitantly, praying with all her might that he was fully healed and back to normal.

His eyes fluttered, and he moaned, "Sailor Moon?"

"Mamo-chan!" she grinned, rubbing his hand on her cheek, thankful for this miracle.

Mamoru opened his eyes, and Usagi noticed immediately something was wrong. They had turned clouded and milky. His hands went right to his face and he called out, "I can't see! I'm blind!"

"No!" she cried out, "Mamo-chan!"

There was laughter above them, and Usagi looked up to see Queen Metallia's massive face looking down at them. She quickly held up the Silver Crystal, focused her energy, and began her attack. Their crystal cage vanished, and everything was covered in a brilliant, white light.

"Now this is more like it," Queen Metallia continued to laugh, "This was the power I've really been looking forward to. It's even stronger than the lump I absorbed. Give me that crystal!"

Usagi was bewildered. The crystal was supposed to seal Metallia away, not make her stronger. She was confused, and knew that Luna would know what to do.

That was when she realized that Luna was nowhere around. Her soldiers were gone too. Where were they? They're weren't...

Usagi shut her eyes to stop the tears. If they were dead, she didn't know if she could continue on with the battle.

"Sailor Moon, are you alright?" Tuxedo Kamen was crouched by her side, feeling her shoulders for guidance.

She couldn't answer. Everything was wrong. All of her friends were likely dead, her lover was blind, and the power she finally obtained to destroy her enemy was only making it stronger. She realized that she wouldn't be able to defeat Metallia at all.

Mamoru felt something sharp poking him in his breast pocket, and he reached in and pulled out some crumbling rocks. He realized quickly that these were the four stones of his generals, and they were now in pieces. A light flashed before his clouded vision, and oddly enough, he could see a man kneeling before him.

"Kunzite?" Mamoru said, "Is that really you?"

"My master. I get to speak to you at last," Kunzite smiled at him.

"What's going on?" Mamoru asked, feeling like his past self again.

"Master, you must eliminate that demon. Queen Metallia is a monster, and she will never stop until she has swallowed the planet and covered it in darkness. That spot on her forehead is her heart, so you must concentrate your attack there."

The other three generals appeared before him, and Nephrite spoke, "Master, we have traded our lives so you can continue yours on Earth with the princess. Find peace with each other."

Their images quickly faded, and Mamoru felt the stones turn to dust in his hands and blow away in the wind. He felt his chest where he had been stabbed, finally realizing that he was completely alive and well. He said a silent prayer of thanks to his devoted generals for making the ultimate sacrifice for him.

"Sailor Moon!" he called out, and reached out his hands to try to find her face, "Metallia's weak spot is on her forehead! If you..." he touched her cheek and felt her tears, "Don't cry! You have to have faith in yourself! Everyone else has faith in you!"

Usagi answered in a quiet voice, "They aren't here. They're probably dead somewhere."

"Then they're looking down on you and guiding you!" he reassured her, "Use that strength. I can give you all of mine as well! You know I will always be by your side, Serenity."

He rested his thumb on her lips, feeling her smile and say, "Endymion."

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly, amazed at how much strength this man had always given her. She savored that moment, and then turned her attention back to the crystal. Tuxedo Kamen positioned himself so he was kneeling behind her, with his hands supporting hers. She felt his strength and his courage, and combined it with her own, and forced all of it into the crystal.

"Ohh!" Queen Metallia cried out, "You are finally manipulating the crystal. This little girl... no, I won't allow it! I will smash you into pieces! You will be nothing but dust!"

"No, Queen Metallia!" Sailor Moon cried out. She whipped out the Moon Stick, and marveled as it grew longer, turning into a staff. The Silver Crystal nestled in the curve of the crescent moon ornament, and Sailor Moon cried out, "You are the one who will become dust!"

Mamoru looked up and saw only a bright, glowing orb. It was the Moon, he realized, shining brighter than it could ever be.

"I am the sailor-suited pretty soldier of love and justice, and Princess Serenity of the Silver Millennium, Sailor Moon! And with the power of moon, I will seal you away!"


	15. Act 14: Ending and Beginning

Act 14: Ending and Beginning

"On behalf of the moon, I will punish you!"

She unleashed her power, but Metallia did nothing but laugh. Sailor Moon began to doubt herself.

"Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kamen cried out, "Don't waver! Keep using your strength!"

_That's right_, Usagi said to herself, _I have to awaken the great power of the moon, and pray at the tower, and bring peace on this world. I have to win!_

Usagi prayed desperately, and Luna gasped when she opened her eyes and saw the Crystal Tower begin to grow. She stood before it, and somehow, in her mind's eye, she saw Sailor Moon fighting and praying with all her might.

"Right," Luna said, closing her eyes, "I'll pray right along with Usagi-chan, and give her my spirit. Now, unleash the great power of the moon!"

There was a crash as the moon trembled and began to glow. Mamoru had to squint now, as the moon in the sky had reached the same dazzling glow as the Silver Crystal.

"Now this is it!" Queen Metallia turned to look up at the moon, "This is the light I desire!" her massive face sailed up toward it, but all it did was push her away, making her scream.

Sailor Moon glared at Queen Metallia, "Vanish! Disappear in this holy light! Become nothing but dust!" she concentrated all her power on the black heart between Metallia's eyes, using every last bit of strength to fight.

Queen Metallia let out a high pitch scream before exploding. The entire world was washed in light. The darkness was gone.

Usagi had nothing left in her. She dropped her staff, tumbling to the ground. She landed on her stomach, and her brooch shattered on a sharp rock. Sailor Moon's outfit turned back into Usagi Tsukino's school uniform.

Luna opened her eyes, since her vision of Usagi faded. Artemis was grinning at her.

"Artemis, we did it," Luna said solemnly, "It's over. We won."

"You looked beautiful," Artemis said quietly, "Like a goddess. You were one with the goddess of the moon."

Luna grinned sheepishly, and looked up to check on Earth. Instead she was looking up at a ceiling.

"What's this?" Luna gasped, and once again Luna and Artemis ran through the halls of the Moon Castle, as they once did so long ago. It had been completely restored.

"You didn't notice?" Artemis said, "While you were praying, the moon shook and the castle rebuilt itself. Silver Millennium is back!"

"I don't believe it," Luna grinned at her friend.

Silence fell on Mamoru's ears. Everything was over. He looked up at the sky and saw nothing. The bright moon was gone, back to normal.

He reached down to feel his way on the ground. As he touched his planet, he could sense the destruction that had been caused. The world was in tatters. But he grinned, knowing that it was only a scratch that would soon heal.

"Sailor Moon?" he called out, and felt alarmed when Usagi didn't answer him. He crawled around until he found her, and held her limp body in his arms. He was grateful when he felt her breathing. But she was freezing cold.

"You used everything you had," he said to her softly, pressing his face against hers, "You gave your whole being."

He leaned forward and kissed her lips, willing his strength to surge into her body and hoping it will return her energy. When he opened his eyes, he saw hers looking back at him.

"It's you!" he smiled, putting her hand against his face, "I can see! I can see you!"

Serenity stared into her prince's handsome blue eyes, the same blue as his planet, and asked, "Endymion?"

"Serenity!" he smiled down at her.

"Endymion!" she cheered, and hugged him as tightly as she could, "I've found you at last! We can finally be together! Mamo-chan!"

They stood, still embracing as tightly as ever, as if they would be separated if they let go.

"Usako," he whispered in her ear, "I've wanted to hold you like this for the longest time."

"Me too," they moved so they could press their foreheads together and stare even deeper into each others eyes, "We were born to be together."

"My beautiful Serenity."

"My handsome Endymion. Mamo-chan, I love you. And we will never be apart, ever."

Usagi realized that she couldn't wait to tell her friends that Mamoru was back, and a cold dread washed over her. Her tears of happiness dried up, "Where is everyone else? Where are my allies?"

"Don't worry, I can find them," Mamoru said, and he got on his knees, closed his eyes, and pressed his hand against the ground.

Usagi, still holding his other hand, saw exactly what he was seeing. He was searching all over the planet, and it was in ruins. Entire cities had been destroyed. Billions of people lay dead in the streets. It was horrifying. But at the same time, she was amazed at his power. He was now, truly, the prince of Earth.

"There they are," he said quietly, and stood.

"Where are they?"

"It's not good, Usako."

"Where are they!" she demanded.

He took her hand and they walked for about a mile. When they reached their bodies, Usagi screamed.

"No! No no! They can't be dead! Not after all of this!"

_Usagi-chan!_, Luna's voice rang in her head, and Usagi, confused, called out, "Luna? Is that you?"

_Usagi-chan, come to the moon. I'm waiting for you here!_

"But how, I... Luna, my brooch broke. I can't transform. I lost my powers. And my soldiers are dead! What am I supposed to do now?"

_You can still get here. Concentrate on the Silver Crystal attached to the Moon Stick._

Usagi held her staff out in one hand and reached out for Mamoru with the other.

"What's going on, Usako?"

"We're going to the moon."

"We're... what?"

"Hold on."

"Did you just say that we're going to the..."

They traveled in a beam of light, and shot straight up to the moon. Usagi gasped at the scene in front of her, amazed that her castle had been rebuilt. She smiled at Mamoru, who was gazing lovingly up at his planet.

"Usagi-chan!" Luna rushed to her master, "Silver Millennium has been reborn! You are now the mistress of this castle. Now you are officially Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, Silver Millennium!"

Usagi didn't expect to be coronated in this way. She smiled down at Luna and said, "But what about my home? My Mom and Dad are waiting for me. I belong on Earth now. I may be Serenity, but I was born as Usagi Tsukino. And Mamo-chan was born on Earth, and he is where I belong," she reached out to hold his comforting hand.

"I am glad, Serenity," came a small, feminine voice, and the hologram of Queen Serenity flickered in front of them, "You have found happiness. You deserve it. Live your life with the one you love, Serenity," she disappeared, and in her place sat a sparkling, pink and gold brooch.

"Look at this!" Usagi knelt down to hold her new item. It popped open like a locket, and there was an indentation inside.

"It's perfect for holding the Silver Crystal!" Luna exclaimed, "It's just the right size. Now, when you wear that, call out 'Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!' and you will become stronger than you ever have before. Transform and heal that planet, Usagi-chan."

Usagi removed the crystal from the Moon Stick and placed it inside her new brooch. She set it right in her school uniform's bow, and called out, "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Once they all returned to Earth, Sailor Moon stood before her fallen comrades, held the Moon Stick up high, and called out, "Moon Healing Escalation!"

This time, the entire planet was bathed in the healing light. Buildings fixed themselves, people returned to life, and the world resumed as if nothing had happened. When it faded, she grinned as she watched her four friends groan and climb to their feet. Filled with joy, she threw down the Moon Stick and raced for them, screaming out, "Guys! You're alive! You're alive!"

"Usagi-chan!" they all cried out as Sailor Moon rushed at them, embracing them in a group hug and sobbing with all her might.

"I thought I was never gonna see you guys again," Usagi wept on Minako's shoulder, and everyone smiled and brushed away her tears.

Artemis rushed up to his master, "Why are you all in your school uniforms? You didn't sacrifice your transforming powers, did you?"

"Oh Artemis," Minako gathered her cat up in her arms, "We don't die as easily as you might think. It was worth it."

"Guys," Usagi pointed to the horizon, "The sun is rising. We better get home. It's a school day."

Everyone laughed and cheered as they held hands to teleport home.

Today seemed more beautiful than any other. Minako and Ami hugged their mothers tightly before setting off for school. Ami met up with Makoto, and she uncharacteristically rushed into her arms, giving her friend a bear hug. Nothing was going to ruin their moods.

"Usagi!" Ikuko knocked on her daughter's door, waking her up for school, "You had better not be in bed!"

She opened the door to find her daughter already dressed in her uniform, and smiling widely, "Good morning, Mom!" she said, wrapping her arms around her, "Today is awesome, isn't it? I'm already set for school. I've never been more excited to go."

"Well, good!" Ikuko smiled, wondering what came over her daughter, "Keep this up for next year, when you're in high school, won't you?"

"Promise!" Usagi cheered, "Now I have to go. I need to hug Naru-chan, and Yumiko-chan, and Kuri-chan, and even Umino-kun and Haruda!"

For Rei, however, it was a different story. She wanted to check and make sure that the enemy was gone for good. She built her fire and begun to search her visions for anything negative. She was about to give up when she saw a terrifying face in the fire. It was a man with a crescent moon on his forehead, except it was upside down and black. Then the fire died instantly, making Rei jump to her feet. She shuddered, knowing that a temple fire putting itself out was one of the worst omens of all, and she raced for the phone.

Ikuko answered, "Hi, Rei-chan! Good morning! If you're calling for Usagi, she already left for school."

"I see that's fine," Rei said calmly, "I will just talk to her later."

She shut her eyes and prayed, _Please don't let anything happen to ruin this happiness. We have just found peace, please don't let anything happen._

Usagi spotted Mamoru sitting on his usual bench in the park, studying. She giggled, since she thought he looked very cute in his glasses. She crept up behind him, and wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

"There you are," Mamoru stood, removing his glasses, "You're late. Detention again, dumpling?"

"No!" she scowled, "Don't start all of that again. I was _not _in detention. I was getting this fixed."

She handed him his pocket watch, except the face had been repaired and it told the correct time, "See? It's good as new."

Mamoru held his watch, and to his amazement, a memory from his current life played in his brain: _Happy sixth birthday, son. Here, I am trusting you with my pocket watch. Keep it safe, won't you, Mamoru? Now let's get going on our trip, we're going to be driving all night._

Tears welled up in Mamoru's eyes, and he pursed his lips together to fight them. Finally, he had what he always wanted. He had his parents back. He finally, truly, remembered them.

Usagi reached up to wipe away his tears, and in response he leaned forward and kissed her with all his might. They were so wrapped up in each other that they didn't notice a light glittering up in the air, and a ball with a black cat's face falling from it. It bounced on Mamoru's head, and his eyes opened wide.

There was an explosion above their heads, and Usagi screamed. A tiny girl fell from the air and landed right on Usagi's neck, smacking Mamoru's lips as she ascended to Earth.

"Ouch!" Usagi called out, "I'm pretty sure my neck is broken! What the..."

She looked up to see a little girl wearing a navy blue sailor school uniform clutching Mamoru, who had also fallen to the ground.

"Who are you?" Usagi demanded, "Get off of Mamo-chan!"

"Mamo-chan?" the girl repeated, looking up into his face. Then she turned around to glare at Usagi.

Usagi felt a little awkward. This girl had bright pink hair that was done in the same exact style as hers, except the buns were more pointy like actual rabbit ears, and her pigtails only went down to her chin. Her eyes were also pink, like an albino rabbit's. This little girl looked far more like a rabbit than Usagi ever had.

The girl stood, and declared, "My name is Usagi! Who are you? Why do you have the same dumplings as me?"

"Um, excuse me!" Usagi felt offended, "Usagi is _my _name. I'm Usagi Tsukino. And for the record, that's _my _hairstyle that I came up with a long time ago. Like a really long time ago, you don't even know!"

Mamoru's face was red, and he confusedly looked back and forth between the Usagis.

The little girl Usagi reached into her pocket, "If you're Usagi Tsukino..." she pulled out a gun, and pointed it right at Usagi's forehead, "That means you have the Silver Crystal! Hand it over! Come on, hurry up! Give it to me right now!"

Usagi found herself staring down a barrel of a gun that was held by a small, pink Usagi. A lot of strange things had happened to her over the past few weeks, but this was by far the most bizarre. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach that she hadn't finished her job as Sailor Moon.

It had only just begun.


	16. Sailor Moon Returns, Act 1: Invasion

Naoko Takeuchi's

**Sailor Moon**

retold by Jenn Hammond

Book 2: Sailor Moon Returns

_~for Tony, my long lost prince~_

Act 1: Invasion

Usagi Tsukino was having a very rough day. All within twenty-four hours, she had to fight the evil version of the man she loved, battle her arch-nemesis from her past life in the Arctic Circle, save the planet, travel to the moon to resurrect her old kingdom, and spend the day in junior high as if none of that had happened. Now, in the hours where she thought everything was going to be normal and she would live happily ever after, she had been bombarded by a tiny girl with pink hair, who fell from the sky and was now threatening to shoot her in the head.

"Hurry up!" the little girl ordered, "This is a real hand gun, and I'm not afraid to use it. Give me the Silver Crystal, now!"

Usagi had no idea how to react to this. Evil monsters, cruel generals, or masses of evil darkness were no longer a problem to her, but she didn't know what to do if a child was going to gun her down. So she just stood there, and she panicked when the little girl pulled the trigger and a loud pop filled her ears. In shock, Usagi fell to her feet.

Mamoru had tried to grab the girl before the shot was fired. He hoisted her up and grabbed the gun from her hands right after she pulled the trigger, to find out that it had been a toy gun after all. Flowers were sticking out of the muzzle. He stared at Usagi, who was just lying on the ground in a daze, amazed that she was still alive.

"It's okay, just a toy," he told her as he set the girl on her feet. She quickly squirmed from his grasp and ran away.

"Hey!" he called out, "Come back here!"

But the girl didn't turn around. She ran out of sight.

Usagi angrily climbed to her feet. She glared around the park, trying to see where the girl had gone.

"Usako, are you alright?"

"Where did she go?" Usagi demanded, grabbing his tie, "What happened to that little _chibi _Usagi?"

"She ran away. Calm down, we..."

Usagi was frantic, "What was with her? How did she know about the Silver Crystal? What would she want with it?"

"Have you ever seen her before?" Mamoru spoke calmly, trying to get his girlfriend to relax, "You don't know her from any place?"

"Obviously not! You saw her! Why would any little girl I know point a gun at me? Did you see the gun? There was a gun!"

"It was a pistol," he clarified, "And a toy one at that. She didn't hurt you at all. And even if you don't know her, she certainly seemed to know you."

"Then we have to find her!" Usagi ran in the same direction the girl had gone, "She must be a new enemy!"

"A little kid cannot be the enemy," he sighed, "We don't know anything about her. But I do think that we should go find her."

They searched the entire park to no avail, and it was only when they went to the playground at the nearby Arisugawa Memorial Park that they found her sitting on a swing. Her black cat ball was at her side. Usagi was about to angrily march over to her, but Mamoru held out his arm and put a finger to his lips.

That was when Usagi noticed that this girl was crying. She was swaying gently on the swing, and quietly whimpered, "Mommy."

"Stay here," Mamoru whispered in Usagi's ear, and he carefully walked over to her, smiling and doing his best to look comforting as he knelt down to her level, "Hey little _chibi_ Usa. Where do you live? I can walk you home if you like. Here," he held out his hand to her.

She very slowly reached out to hold his hand, and when she did so, Mamoru saw a flash of something in his mind's eye. It looked like a castle, but not one he had ever seen before. It had huge, pointy towers and was clear, like it was made of glass. It only lasted for a split second, and he would have dwelled on it further if the girl didn't pull herself close to him, resting her head on his chest in a gentle hug.

"You're warm," she said quietly, "Like my Daddy."

"Mamo-chan," Usagi observed her boyfriend, "Looks like she's really attached to you already."

"Yeah," he grinned up at her, "She seems pretty ordinary to me."

"She's not ordinary!" Usagi said, exasperated.

"And you don't seem as aggressive as before," he continued, but this time addressing the girl, "Where did you come from anyway?"

"And how exactly do you know me?" Usagi questioned her too, trying her best to be nice, "Is your name really Usagi? How do you know about the Silver Crystal?"

The girl clammed up, pursing her lips and staring bitterly at Usagi. Mamoru and Usagi just stared back, confused and worried.

Prince Diamond grinned as he put in his black crystal earrings. He believed that they only made him look even more handsome. The black stood out against his young, pale skin and white hair that went past his ears. And, not to mention, the upside down black moon symbol on his forehead that he wore with pride.

He was preparing for a meeting that his baby bother, Sapphire, had called. It must have been good news, because Sapphire never emerged from his workshop unless there was something positive to share. Even though he was proud of his brother, Prince Diamond still felt troubled about him. Sapphire was completely different from him. Even from their days growing up in the royal court, Sapphire refused to add the title 'prince' to his name. He was even born with their mother's black hair instead of their father's silvery white. Sapphire was also obsessed with following plans and making rules, sticking to the book as close as possible, whereas Prince Diamond looked at life with a come-what-may attitude. Diamond made up his own rules as he went along, which drove Sapphire crazy. And, what was easily the most important difference of all, Sapphire refused to wear the black crystal earrings.

Prince Diamond suddenly knew that he had to hurry. That presence was going to appear at the meeting. He could feel it emerging from the depths of their dark planet. He left his quarters and casually strolled to his command center, where Sapphire was pacing in front of Prince Diamond's two best friends.

He trusted them only because they were born without a drop of royal blood. First was Rubeus, who preferred to go by his nickname Crimson Rubeus to match his bright red hair. He was a natural born leader, and formed his own gangs at a very young age. He made his own rules and stuck to them, but his loyalty to Prince Diamond was unwavering. Diamond and Rubeus always got along because they shared the same enthusiasm to gain power, and had always been willing to help each other out. Then there was Emerald, his ex-girlfriend. She was as beautiful as ever, wearing her trademark black mini dress and long black gloves to contrast her long, bright green hair. They didn't have the best relationship, and they amicably broke it off when they realized they worked together better as friends than a couple.

"Well, Sapphire?" Prince Diamond said, starting the meeting.

Sapphire grinned. He had always begrudgingly followed his older brother with every scheme he thought of, but this time he was proud of the task he had been given, "I've located the Silver Crystal."

Prince Diamond's heart skipped a beat. He realized that this crazy plan was actually going work after all. Before he could reply, the spirit arrived, and the four friends turned to it. Prince Diamond gave him a nod, "Wiseman."

The being only appeared to them as a man wearing a long black cloak, hunched over a crystal ball that he held with long, distorted hands. They had never seen his face, since his hood covered his entire head. Wiseman spoke in a low, raspy voice, "The Silver Crystal, you say? Excellent. That stone needs to be destroyed at all cost. If we do not, then it will destroy us. Bring that crystal here immediately."

"Right," Prince Diamond, feeling excited, reached for the drinks that he always kept fully stocked in his command center, "We will obtain that stone and shatter it to pieces, like it deserves. A toast?"

His three friends took their goblets, and they raised them skyward. Prince Diamond announced, "For the revival of our history."

"To our history," they repeated before taking a drink in celebration.

Prince Diamond turned to Rubeus, "I trust you have someone you can send to obtain it?"

"Of course," Rubeus grinned like a jackal as he went to the door, "Cooan, come here."

Growing up, Crimson Rubeus had always been the leader of packs of boys from their school. But as he aged, he changed his preferences, and soon he was managing gangs of very dangerous women. Times hadn't changed, and Rubeus led in one of the girls from his team. She had long, black hair and was dressed in a purple and black striped unitard. A purple jewel rested above the black moon on her forehead.

The girl, Cooan, bowed to Prince Diamond and explained, "My prince, I feel a strong power that is very close to the crystal. This maiden has the same power flowing through her veins as I do, the power of fire. I will be the first of my sisters to go forth on a mission. I will capture the Silver Crystal without fail."

"Right," Rubeus smiled at her, "We will officially launch Operation: Recruit. Cooan, you will be in charge of sending a large number of recruits with you on this mission. Understood?"

She grinned at him, cat-like, "Yes, Crimson Rubeus."

"Luna!"

The cat was sitting on the wall outside Usagi's house, and she looked up at her master's voice, "There you are, Usagi-chan. And Mamo-chan, what..." she stopped when she saw that Mamoru was holding a small girl with pink hair in his arms. She turned to Usagi and asked quietly, "Who is that?"

"You tell me," Usagi said grumpily, "She fell out of the sky at the park."

Luna looked up to see the girl staring at her, who hugged Mamoru tighter around his neck. Mamoru came to her defense, "Luna, she doesn't like you staring at her."

"I wasn't staring!" Luna couldn't keep up her usual charade of being an ordinary cat today, "I didn't mean to offend!"

The front door of the house opened, and Ikuko stepped out, "Usagi, is that you?"

Usagi and Mamoru both turned red. She fidgeted with her skirt as she said, "Oh, um, Mom. Hi. This, um, this is my, this is Mamoru Chiba-san."

"How nice to meet you," Ikuko grinned, "And is this your sister, Mamoru-san?"

"Oh, no," Mamoru spoke with a little difficulty, as if he was thinking hard before speaking to make sure he said the right thing, "She's just someone who... is attached to me."

"I like your hair," Ikuko leaned forward a little to look at Chibi Usagi, "You have the same dumplings as Usagi."

The pink girl narrowed her eyes, "Usagi is _my _name," she said a little irritatedly.

"What a coincidence!" Ikuko smiled, "I guess I would call you Usa-chan, right?"

Kenji returned from work at that moment. His car pulled into the garage and he came out to see the gathering in front of his house, "Hey everyone, what's happening?"

"Usagi brought some new friends home today," Ikuko explained, "This is Mamoru-san and Usa-chan," she turned back to the little girl, "What's that toy you have there? Is it a ball? It looks like Luna!"

Everyone suddenly scrutinized the toy that Chibi Usagi had been possessively carrying with her. Usagi realized then that it really did look like Luna. It even had the crescent moon between its eyes. Luna growled a little in protest. The cat's face on the toy was distorted because of its round shape, but seeing the symbol of the Moon Kingdom on a black cat toy was very eerie.

"Why don't you come inside for dinner?" Ikuko invited, taking her out of Mamoru's arms and setting her on the ground, "And you can call your parents from our phone, they must be so worried about you. Where do you live?"

Chibi Usagi looked up at Usagi's smiling parents and made a decision. She turned to Usagi, "So, Usagi Tsukino, I'll be keeping an eye on you for a while."

"What?" Usagi nearly yelled, but before she could say anything else, Chibi Usagi bounced her Luna ball once, and it emitted a great puff of smoke as it turned into an umbrella. She held it so the top was facing everyone else, and Usagi noticed that it had a spiral pattern on it. Chibi Usagi twirled the umbrella, and Usagi became lost in the dizzying pattern.

Luna quickly realized that this girl was hypnotizing them. She tore her gaze away from the spiral and bit Usagi hard. Usagi snapped out of the spell, screaming at the sudden pain, which made Mamoru snap out of it as well.

"What happened?" Usagi asked out loud. She turned to her parents for help, but a change seemed to have come over them.

"Welcome home, Usa-chan!" Ikuko said happily, "We are so happy to have you live in our home forever."

Usagi stared in shock at the girl, who replied by sticking her tongue out at her.

"You little brat! That does it!" Usagi grabbed her arm and marched her straight up to her room, so she could talk to this girl without Mamoru interrupting her. She slammed the door behind them and interrogated, "Who are you really, Chibi Usagi? What did you do to my parents? Change them back right now!"

"No," she replied quietly, "I'm not going to."

"You're not going to?" Usagi angrily repeated, "Tell me right now what you did to them! And tell me who you are!" when she didn't reply, Usagi continued to yell, "Well, say something! What, you think I'm going to be all sweet with you because you're a little kid? I don't think so!"

Her door swung open, and Shingo gaped at his sister, "Usagi, are you picking on Usagi?"

"Shingo, not you too!" Usagi gasped.

"Come on, little sis," Shingo smiled as he held Chibi Usagi's hand and led her toward the stairs, "It's time for dinner."

"Wait," she said to him, and she turned back to Usagi and said, "Don't call me _chibi_, I'm not little."

Luna watched as the girl rushed down the stairs and noticed something odd. She had been hiding a necklace under her sailor shirt. As she turned the corner to the dining room, Luna caught a glimpse of the charms. One of them was a very ornate skeleton key, and the other looked like a very recognizable stone.

"Usagi-chan," Luna whispered as Usagi now made her way downstairs, "where's the Silver Crystal?"

"Right here," she opened the compact brooch at her chest, revealing the sparkling gem inside of it, "It changed back from its lotus shape and into its original teardrop form. Nobody will notice it unless I transform."

Luna pondered for a moment, "Something isn't right about that little girl. I'm going to keep an eye on her for a while."

"Do you think she's evil?" Usagi picked up her cat and whispered to her, "Because I'm pretty sure she is devil spawn."

"She _isn't _devil spawn, Usagi-chan, really now," Luna sighed, "I don't feel anything evil about her, that's the strange thing. Just don't worry about her, I'll keep a lookout. Besides, you do know that you left Mamo-chan alone with your parents, right? Your father could be burying his corpse in the backyard right now."

"Whoops!" Usagi dropped Luna and rushed to the dining room to stand at Mamoru's side, who thankfully hadn't been murdered by her father.

Ikuko, Kenji and Shingo set up their spare bedroom with all of Usagi's childhood things: old bedsheets, cute outfits, and all of her old stuffed bunnies. Usagi waited until she was asleep to check on her, fully expecting her to be secretly summoning evil or committing a human sacrifice, and was actually surprised to find Chibi Usagi curled up, asleep in bed with a toy bunny. Even the Luna ball's eyes were closed, resting beside her bed. She looked completely ordinary.

"Really?" Mamoru said that morning, after Usagi had described what she saw, "So she really is staying at your house then?"

Usagi nodded, "Luna is watching her while I'm at school, but she seems to think that she's ordinary too. But she can't be, Mamo-chan! She fell from the sky and brainwashed my family. Who knows what she's going to do next?"

"I understand," Mamoru said, "She's like a bomb waiting to go off."

"A bomb?" Usagi shivered, "Mamo-chan..."

"I didn't mean literally," he smiled, "I mean that we have to wait and see what will happen. And maybe we should check with the police to see if anyone is looking for her. But let's get you to school, Usako."

They walked, side by side, in silence, unaware of the young man watching them from a distance.

"I can't believe you guys have never been here before," Makoto said as she and her friends entered the Crown Fruit Parlor, which was right next to the Crown Game Center. They all ordered smoothies and got a table, beginning their meeting.

Makoto leaned back in her seat, "Peace is great, isn't it?"

"This isn't what I would call peace," Usagi grumbled.

"Oh right," Makoto grinned, "To business. We have to find the true identity of Chibiusa and why she's after the Silver Crystal."

Rei grinned slyly, "I bet she's Usagi's love child."

"Or her long lost sister," Ami smiled back.

"Stop it guys!" Usagi gripped the table in frustration, "This isn't a joke. This little girl has taken over my family. My Mom won't stop cuddling her and giving her treats."

Ami took off her glasses, "But your parents are still normal, besides that, right?"

"Yeah," Usagi sighed, "They're exactly the same, but they just act like Chibiusa has lived with us all along."

Luna and Artemis came into the shop then, and snuck into the booth seat next to Usagi and Minako. They were carrying small parcels in their mouths and they carefully set them on the table. Luna cleared her throat and said, "Special delivery from the Silver Millennium. Since your transformation pens were broken in the last battle, you now have new ones."

Minako opened one of the parcels and passed out the new, brightly colored wands. Each had a star on top with the correct planetary symbol in the center.

"And you have new communicators," Artemis nodded at the other package, "With video capability!"

"But guys," Minako said to the cats, "Now that we have these, does this mean..."

Luna winked, "We just need to be prepared for anything."

"And now we can transform again," Minako smiled at her own yellow and gold wand.

"So we can protect Usagi-chan from bizarre little children!" Makoto happily put her arm around Usagi, making everyone laugh.

A young waitress with bright red hair delivered their drinks. She smiled at Makoto, "And just what are you planning with your friends, Mako-chan?"

"Just the usual insanity, Unazuki-chan" Makoto winked. When the girl left, Makoto leaned over to Usagi and said, "Guess what? That's Furu-chan's little sister!"

"Really?" Usagi looked back at her, "I would have never guessed from her dyed hair. She's really cute."

"Their family owns this place too," Makoto explained, "The Furuhata's are obviously very business savvy."

"So, Mako-chan," Minako nudged her friend, "I see your plan. Getting close to Furu-chan's sister will get you close to Furu-chan, right?"

"That's not it!" Makoto nudged back, "I have other motives for being here. They have what I like," and she nodded across the restaurant.

They all turned to look to see a table full of boys their age, all dressed in Mamoru's school uniform.

"You're not here because of a boy," Minako grinned, "You're here because of _many _boys."

"Looks like they go to Moto Azabu Junior High," Ami blushed.

"Asanuma-chan!" Makoto called out, waving to the group of boys. One of them turned around, smiled at her, and made his way over, "Hi, Makoto-senpai. You brought a lot of friends today."

Makoto wrapped an arm around him and ruffled his hair, "Isn't he adorable?"

"S-stop it senpai!" Asanuma stuttered, embarrassed.

Makoto explained, "Asanuma Ittou-chan is the one who showed me this place. He's in seventh grade at Moto Azabu. We kept running into each other a lot, and now we're friends. Look, Asanuma-chan," she pointed at Usagi, who was sipping her smoothie, "That's your Mamoru-senpai's girlfriend, Usagi Tsukino. I thought you would like to meet her," and she turned back to the girls, "Asanuma-chan has a lot of respect for Mamo-chan."

Usagi nodded at Mamoru's kouhai, not realizing that there must be other boys that look up to her Mamo-chan.

The young man blushed, "It's nice to meet you, Usagi-senpai. Mamoru-senpai is one of the best guys at school. He's a genius, really good at sports, and he's always nice to the underclassmen in the junior high, like me. I want to be just like him."

Makoto and Minako both let out a loud, "Aww!"

Asanuma turned around to see his classmates flagging him down, telling him they were leaving. He said a quick, "Later!" to the girls as he joined his friends.

Usagi was grinning, "I never realized that Mamo-chan was that popular at school!"

"And speaking of school," Rei stood, "I have to leave. I'm helping out with the school festival tomorrow."

"A festival?" Ami asked, "Are we invited?"

"Of course," she smiled, "I'll be telling fortunes. Come and I'll tell you your future."

"Right," Makoto smiled, "Because if there's anyone I trust with my future, it's Sailor Mars."

Rei rushed back to her private Catholic girls school, St. Joan's. She was never involved with any clubs, so she was surprised when the president of the paranormal club approached her and asked for her help at their festival table. She entered the club a little apprehensively, and was warmly greeted by the president.

"Thanks so much for coming, Hino-san!" said the peppy president, "I'm Kotono Sarashina. I hope that after the festival you might consider joining our club?"

"I'll think about it," Rei smiled politely, not wanting to let this cheerful girl down.

"We are gonna have the best booth," she smiled, "We even got the science fiction club from Moto Azabu to help us out. See?"

Rei looked over at a small group of boys, and recognized one instantly. He turned to her and smiled.

"Hey," she nodded at him, "You're Mako-chan's friend. How strange that we just saw each other at the fruit parlor."

"Yeah," he nodded, blushing a little. Going to an all boys school for nearly two years had affected the way he spoke to girls, and being surrounded by them wasn't helping him any. They were all really pretty, but this girl was beautiful. She was what he pictured when he thought of his senpai's girlfriend, but meeting the real one at the fruit parlor had confirmed what he saw that morning, when he saw Mamoru walking that blond girl toward Juuban Junior High. Rei had a sort of air of mystery about her, just like Mamoru had.

Rei looked at all the posters and books they had set up for their table, and picked up a large book about UFOs. She scrutinized it, and muttered to herself, "Yeah right. Barf."

"What was that?" Kotono was suddenly behind her.

"Oh, nothing!" Rei felt herself blushing, wondering just when she started talking like Usagi, "I just think, well, aren't UFOs a kind of strange subject to be presenting at a school festival?"

"Absolutely not!" Kotono said passionately, "There is plenty of research happening right now about UFOs, and it's all fascinating. Especially with all the sightings reported around this area. Haven't you heard? Look," Kotono pointed to a photograph on her poster, showing a field of grass with a large circle pressed into it, "This photo wasn't taken very far from school. There haven't been any reports of abduction, but you hear about it all the time overseas. It could mean that the aliens in those UFOs are among us right now!"

Rei felt a slight trance come over her when she heard that last part, "Like an enemy. Invaders coming into our world without us knowing..."

She shook off the feeling, since she didn't like having ESP episodes in public. As she came out of her daze, she heard Kotono continue, "Wow, you looked so mysterious just then. Did you get a psychic reading just now? You're gonna be so cool at our festival table, Hino-san! Of course, combined with our UFO reports I got from the newspaper office and, what I consider my masterpiece, my year long research on spontaneous combustion."

Rei smiled, "You've been researching spontaneous combustion for a year?"

"Haven't you heard of it?" Kotono said, and before Rei could say that she had, Kotono jumped at the chance to explain, "It's when a person suddenly catches on fire when there isn't any fire around them, and they burn to a crisp. Usually everything around them burns up as well. You mostly hear about it in the West, but it's been happening often in Tokyo these days. And there are never any witnesses to it!"

"President Kotono?" one of the club girls approached, holding a booklet, "I was just going through the list of what the other clubs are presenting, and someone else is doing the same things we are! UFOs, fortune telling, and spontaneous combustion!"

"What? What other club here would do that?" Kotono asked, grabbing the booklet from the girl and reading out loud, "Black Moon Paranormal Phenomena Club?"

Right on cue, the door to the club room opened, and a girl that Kotono and Rei didn't recognize walked in. She had wavy, black hair and a cold smile, "Is this the paranormal club? I just wanted to meet the people who stole our idea for our festival table," she grinned as she introduced herself, "I'm president of the Black Moon Club, Cooan Kurozuki. Nice to meet you," she shook Kotono's hand and left quickly. Kotono stared at her hand, shocked. This girl, Cooan, had such cold hands that they felt metallic.

"Whoa, look at that!" one of the boys called out as he looked out the window, "Asanuma, get the camera! It's a UFO!"

Everyone looked outside to see something glimmering in the sky that was definitely saucer shaped. Just as Asanuma took his photograph, it disappeared.

While everyone in the two clubs were celebrating, Rei stood back, feeling cold. She had never felt such fear creep over her in her life. In her minds eye she could see that girl, Cooan, surrounded by fire and strange, robotic people.

Usagi munched on her breakfast toast while glaring at Chibiusa, who was sitting next to her at the table drinking tea. She felt very uncomfortable having this girl so close to her, and acting so nonchalant.

"You look nice today, Usagi," Ikuko said as she joined them with her newspaper, "Are you going somewhere today?"

Usagi was very proud of her outfit. She had on a new, short dress with a flouncy skirt and a cute pink jacket to go over it. It even had a bow like her school uniform, so her compact brooch sat in its usual place, "Yep, I'm going to Rei-chan's school festival."

"A school festival?" Chibiusa spoke up, "Can I..."

"No," Usagi said quickly, leaving the table to avoid talking to Chibiusa. At the door, she leaned down to Luna and asked, "Are you coming, Luna? Or are you going to keep an eye on the demon spawn?"

"I'll be watching _Chibiusa_. Really, Usagi-chan, you need to stop overreacting about that girl. If anything happens, I'll contact you."

Usagi looked over at Chibiusa, who was now getting ready to go shopping with Ikuko. When Chibiusa saw her looking at her, she stuck out her tongue.

Usagi frowned, "You know I don't trust you one bit!"

"Usagi!" Ikuko yelled, "Stop picking on her!"

"I'm not picking on her good bye," Usagi said quickly as she dashed out the door.

Luna carefully watched Chibiusa out of the corner of her eye. She felt much more relaxed around this girl than Usagi did. Luna wondered if it was just the hair style that made her feel at ease. She waited for Chibiusa to grab the last of Usagi's toast, thus turning her back to Luna, before creeping over to the Luna ball. But before she could touch it, Chibiusa swept down and grabbed it, holding it tightly.

"Hey Luna," Ikuko came up to her with a small saucer, "How about some milk?"

Luna meowed with pleasure, and while she was in the middle of lapping up her treat she heard Ikuko call out, "Chibiusa-chan? Where did you go?"

Luna gasped. Chibiusa had vanished.

Usagi wandered around the pavilion of St. Joan's, trying to find Rei and the others. She grinned as she thought about Luna, who was stuck at home watching the little pink brat. She wouldn't dream of switching places with her. Little did Usagi know that the very same pink brat was following her at a distance, watching Usagi's every move, until she heard screaming at one of the tables. Curious, she went to investigate, and saw a swarm of girls surrounding a lady in front of a crystal ball, who was telling fortunes.

"You will die from overwork in nineteen years, so sorry. Next! Oh, you poor thing, your heart is very weak, you will be dead in six years. Next!"

"No!" the last girl to have her fortune told screamed, "No, that can't be true!"

"What's going on here?" came a powerful voice, and Rei and Kotono marched up to the table.

"It's terrible," one of the school girls explained to Rei, "this lady knows about everyone's families and past, and then she goes on to say when you're going to die!"

"Don't be sad," Cooan smiled, "Everyone dies eventually. You can't change fate. But, if you join Black Moon, I can promise you a very peaceful death. Why don't you sit here, Hino-san? I'll tell you your fortune."

"This isn't fortune telling," Rei said angrily, "You're just acting as the Grim Reaper!"

"Hino-san," Kotono said nervously, "We should tell Sister Mary."

"Right," Rei nodded. She looked around at the nuns who had been wandering around to find that she didn't recognize any of them. When she approached one, the nun just glared at her, and said in a low voice that was almost robotic, "Mind your own business."

Rei gasped. This strange nun had a black, upside down crescent moon on her forehead. She stood in shock as she watched the group of nuns chuckle and leave her sight, rounding a corner. The mark Rei had seen was identical to the one in her vision in the fire a few days ago, after they had returned from fighting Queen Metallia. She didn't snap out of it until Kotono touched her shoulder, "Do you smell that?"

"What?"

"It smells like burning, in the direction of where those strange nuns went," and suddenly there was the sound of a small explosion around the corner. Rei and Kotono dashed over to find a charred body lying in a nun's habit. Kotono screamed.

"Hino-san! This is it! Spontaneous combustion! I don't believe it... I..."

Rei turned to her friend, "Kotono, I don't know what's going on, but don't tell anyone about this. It's something dangerous. Do you understand? Kotono?"

Kotono had fainted.

"Rei-chan?" Ami rounded the corner, "What was that sound?"

"I knew something was going to happen," Rei said bitterly to her, gesturing to the charred nun, "It's the enemy. I had a feeling that they were already among us! We need to transform."

Ami flipped open her watch and called out, "Usagi-chan!"

Usagi's face appeared in the watch's face, "Ami-chan, what's going on?"

"The enemy is here! We are gonna transform!"

Rei rushed to find the other nuns, and she spotted them huddled in a corner, far from the festival. She grabbed her transformation wand and felt a rush going through her being as she called out, "Mars Star Power, Make Up!"

Now that she was Sailor Mars, she could easily see that they weren't nuns at all, but robots in the shape of people. They had black bodies and bald heads, with large, empty eyes and black crescent moons on their foreheads. Mars felt her fire coursing through her veins and she called out her attack, "Burning Mandala!"

Fire shot out from her palms like a flamethrower, scorching the robots. They screamed as they burned to death.

"My, you are very strong indeed," said a voice behind Sailor Mars, and she turned to see the fortune telling girl, who also had a black moon above her eyes, "But not strong enough to defeat me! I am the youngest of the Four Weird Sisters, and I do enjoy fighting fire with fire!"

A massive flame shot from Cooan's hands, surrounding Sailor Mars. She was trapped in a ball of flame so powerful that it made her hover in the air. It was extremely hot and painful, and Sailor Mars screamed for her life.

"Rei-chan!" Usagi called out as she saw her friend in peril. Chibiusa wasn't far behind her, and she gasped when she saw Usagi put a hand over her brooch and call out, "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"

The new and improved Sailor Moon announced, "I am the pretty sailor-suited soldier of love and justice, Sailor Moon! And on behalf of the moon, I will punish you! Moon Tiara Frisbee!"

Using her new tiara, which was identical to her fellow soldiers', she attacked Cooan. The enemy simply waved a hand, deflecting it back to Sailor Moon like a boomerang. Before it could hit her, a cane knocked it out of the way, and Tuxedo Kamen wrapped a protective arm around her.

"Wow," Sailor Moon said, surprised, "A cane to go with your top hat, right?"

"Not now," he said in a low voice, "We're surrounded."

Sailor Moon looked around to find plenty of black robots making a circle around them, trapping them with their enemy and a defenseless Sailor Mars.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" they heard Sailor Mercury call out, and most of the robots short circuited in a wave of water. Mercury looked up at her friend in distress and tried the attack again, but the fire wasn't put out.

"Now what do we do?" Sailor Moon asked out loud, clutching Tuxedo Kamen's hand, "We have to help Sailor Mars!"

The hand that was entwined with Tuxedo Kamen's began to glow, and she stared as a small, bright scepter appeared in their grip. They both gasped, recognizing the ancient artifact of Queen Serenity. Sailor Moon smiled up at her prince, knowing that it was his power combined with her that summoned the Moon Rod.

Once she was holding the weapon firmly in both hands, she knew the incantation to call out. She pointed it at Cooan and yelled, "Moon Princess Halation!"

Cooan screamed, and was enveloped in a white light and shattered.

"You!" came a male voice from nearby, and they turned to see a man with bright red hair and a dark crescent moon on his forehead. He was dressed in camouflage pants and a vest with no shirt underneath, showing off the muscles in his arms, and had black stone earrings dangling from his ears, "You who are strong enough to break Cooan! You may think your power is so great, but it's nothing. I am Crimson Rubeus of the Black Moon, and even though you killed Cooan, you can't stop her fire."

He suddenly cocked his head, as if he was hearing a voice, "Roger, Prince Diamond. I will take this soldier directly to you."

"Mars!" Sailor Moon called out, rushing toward her friend. But a saucer shaped light surrounded Rubeus and Sailor Mars, which shot up into the sky, disappearing.

"Mars!" Sailor Moon screamed out again, "Sailor Mars, no!"


	17. Act 2: Abduction

Act 2: Abduction

"What was that light?", "Did you see that? It looked like a flying saucer!", "What's going on?"

Makoto and Minako stood in the confused crowd at the festival, watching the light vanish into the sky. Acting on instinct, they raced away, looking for their fellow soldiers, and found Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury and Tuxedo Kamen looking helplessly up at the sky.

"What happened?" Makoto asked.

"Mars was captured!" Sailor Mercury explained.

"There are lots of people around," Minako said hurriedly, "Undo your transformation now, before someone sees you!"

Sailor Moon placed her hand on her brooch, feeling the power of the crystal retreat back into her chest. Once she and Ami were back in their usual clothes, Tuxedo Kamen removed his mask and hat and explained, "I'll head home, call me as soon as you can, and we can find out... Chibiusa?"

They all gasped as they finally noticed the girl staring at them, clutching her ball.

"What are you doing here?" Usagi asked angrily, "Did you see us? You were watching us, weren't you? What do you know? I bet you were here helping your friends kidnap Mars!" Usagi stepped forward to grab Chibiusa until she heard Luna's voice call out, "Stop, Usagi-chan!"

Luna stepped in front of Chibiusa, keeping a distance between her and Usagi.

"Luna," Usagi said angrily, "Why are you protecting her? We don't even know who she is!"

"Calm down, Usagi-chan," Luna said, "There's no reason to believe she's..."

Chibiusa didn't stick around to hear what Luna was going to say. She ran away, and as Usagi was about to call out to her, she saw the pendants swinging around her neck. She gasped at what could only be an exact replica of the Silver Crystal.

"You're scaring her," Luna explained, "If you come on so strong, we won't get anything out of her."

Usagi's heart was beating. Sailor Mars' kidnapping on top of spotting the twin Silver Crystal was too much for her. Everything was happening so fast. Before she could cry in front of everyone, she also ran off, rushing toward her home.

"Usagi," her mother said from the kitchen, "You're home early. Where's Chibiusa-chan? I thought she was with you?"

"Oh," Usagi stared at her feet, "Don't worry about her."

"Usagi? What's wrong? Where is Chibiusa-chan?"

"I don't know!" Usagi yelled, frustrated, "She said she was staying a friend's house, okay? I'm going upstairs."

As she thundered up the steps, Usagi realized that she was acting just as bratty as Chibiusa. Who was she to yell at a little girl like that? And Luna was right, there was no indication that Chibiusa was helping the enemy. It's not like she was fighting alongside them or anything.

She could practically hear Rei lecturing her in her head, telling her she was being a crybaby idiot. Usagi collapsed on her bed, hugging her pillow tightly.

Mamoru had been sitting in his apartment, waiting for any sign of the sailor soldiers. But there was nothing. He sighed, worried about Sailor Mars and, of course, Usako. Night fell, and it began to rain. Realizing that the weather matched his gloominess, he decided to finally stand and eat something when his bell rang.

Luna was at his doorstep, wet with rain, "Mamo-chan, come with me. It's that girl."

He followed Luna back to the park where Chibiusa had first dropped into his life. She was sitting in the rain, not bothering to find any shelter.

"Chibiusa?" he said gently as he picked up the soaking wet girl. She practically melted into his arms, falling asleep. Carefully, he brought her to his home and tucked her in his bed, remembering when he had done this to another sleepy bunny a few weeks ago.

"I don't think she wanted to go home," Luna explained, "She was just wandering around, and wound up at the park."

"It's probably best that she's here," Mamoru said to the cat, "Usako was so upset."

"I'm sure Usagi-chan understands," Luna continued, "This is just a frightened little girl. Chibiusa is usually very protective of herself, but she lets people in once they gain her trust. I don't think she is an enemy at all."

Chibiusa was having a nightmare. One scene flashed into the next, her memories being jumbled together. At first, white saucers flew through the night sky. She ran from them, wondering where Mommy was. The scene changed to a peaceful summer day, and she was walking hand in hand with her father, who explained, "If anything happens, I know you will be brave and strong. Sailor Moon, the soldier of legends, is invincible." Then the scene changed to an explosion, and she was screaming, "Mommy! Daddy!"

"Chibiusa?"

Her pink eyes opened at the sound of the name she was called in this world. She was in a bed, and she was confused. Chibiusa pushed her face inside the soft pillow, trying to hide from any danger.

"Don't cry, beautiful lady," came a playful, male voice. She peeked to see a little doll sitting on the edge of the bed, which looked exactly like Tuxedo Kamen. It was holding a flower, and she heard a voice say, "Whenever you are sad, this rose will wilt. Take it, it's yours to keep."

Chibiusa smiled a little, taking the flower.

"My name is Tuxedo Kamen," said the doll, "What's yours?"

"Chibiusa," she smiled, accepting the nickname.

Luna also hopped up on the bed, and the voice continued, "And I'm Luna," Luna looked around, confused, as she hadn't opened her mouth, and the voice continued, "Were you having a bad dream?"

Mamoru appeared and picked up Luna, "Sorry, I rarely get the chance to throw my voice. It's called ventriloquism. Do you like it?"

Chibiusa nodded, "Where did you get that doll?"

"It's part of my graduation requirement," he frowned a little, "I had to study sewing for a month. It was a pain, but I have this to show off now. Do you have any talents?"

"Yeah, I can to ventrisiquism too!" she said excitedly, sitting up. She reached for her ball, "This is my Luna-P ball. What do you think, Luna?" she smiled at the cat, "Luna, meet Luna-P. Watch," she bounced it gently on the bed and it made a "Pii!" sound, and then began to speak robotically, "Small Lady, Small Lady..."

"Small Lady?" Mamoru repeated, sitting on the edge of the bed, "What does that mean?"

"It's..." she hesitated, "It's what Mommy called me."

"So Small Lady and Luna-P, huh?" Mamoru said as he reached for the ball. But the second he touched it, he felt a hot burst of energy shoot through his hand, and he jerked it back. He felt like he was on the verge of seeing something in his minds eye, like he did the first time he ever touched Chibiusa. He looked at the girl and gasped. Her necklace was hanging over her shirt, and he was surprised to see an ornate key and a copy of the Silver Crystal. When she realized what he was looking at, she quickly hid the charms back under her top.

To break the tension, Mamoru tried to speak as if he hadn't seen anything major at all, "Is that your house key?"

"Kind of," she replied, "I can't go home without this. It's a very important key."

"Where is your home?"

"I don't know," she fidgeted with the rose, running her fingers over its petals, "It's far away and close by. Hey," she set the flower down and looked sincerely into Mamoru's eyes, "Is Sailor Moon strong?"

He smiled, "Yes, she's invincible."

She nodded, confirming what she had heard in her dream, "I wonder if she can help Mommy," then she nodded again, picked up the Tuxedo Kamen doll, and snuggled back down into the bed, ready to sleep again. Luna and Mamoru continued to watch her, not knowing what to think.

When Usagi left her house to go to school the next morning, she was surprised to see Mamoru, Luna and Chibiusa waiting for her.

"Mamo-chan!" she gasped, "And Chibiusa, were you staying at Mamo-chan's?"

Chibiusa didn't look at her as she walked past, going straight to the front door and into Ikuko's arms.

"Let's walk," Mamoru said, and as they set off for school he asked, "Have you settled down a little since yesterday?"

Usagi sighed, "Have you seen what Chibiusa has around her neck? It's a pendant that looks exactly like the Silver Crystal."

"Yeah, I saw it," he copied her sigh, "And she had something that looks like a house key of some sort. But it seems she came here to get Sailor Moon's help. She said that Sailor Moon might help her Mommy. I'm just not sure about her name; she could be lying about it being Usagi, because it would be a bizarre coincidence. And like I said, we just need to wait and see what she wants and what she's going to do. Okay, Usako?"

He turned to his girlfriend to see her looking down at the ground. Her lovely eyes weren't full of tears, but they were definitely brimming with sadness.

Mamoru pulled her close and kissed her forehead, "Please cheer up, Usako."

"I still can't believe it," Motoki sighed and crossed his arms, "Who knew that there was this secret control room underneath my Dad's arcade? And you!" he pointed to the blushing girls, "Usagi-chan, you're Sailor Moon! And that's Sailor V, the video game star? And my lovelies Ami-chan and Mako-chan are Mercury and Jupiter! How could you guys not tell me!"

"Sorry!" all the girls said at once.

Motoki sighed and pointed to the ceiling, "I had better get back up there and get to work. If you guys need any help, just let me know. And fight hard to save Sailor Mars, I know you can do it!" he said as he went through the secret door leading back to the arcade.

"Right," Ami said, setting her book bag down and pulling out her eReader, "We have to rescue Mars, no matter what it takes."

She fiddled with the screen of her eReader as she recalled, "He called himself Crimson Rubeus from the Black Moon. What could that mean? The Black Moon is definitely the name of a new enemy!"

"What are you doing with that?" Minako asked, leaning over Ami's shoulder.

"Playing chess," Ami said, "The chess club finally convinced me to join. They do competitions, so I've been practicing whenever I can to get in the swing of things," she sighed, and looked away from her tablet, "But it feels like us sometimes. Moving pieces to get close to the king. And we lost one of our pieces recently."

"Right," Minako said, "We have to do something. Sitting around here and talking about it won't bring back Mars."

"I say we go to St. Joan's," Makoto said, "I think Rei-chan already figured out some things about the enemy, and there might be clues there."

They all walked quietly toward Rei's school, and Ami and Makoto decided to be the ones to go in and investigate. They knocked on the door to the paranormal club.

"Oh, are you here to see our club president?" the girl who answered the door asked.

"We are friends of Rei Hino-chan," Ami replied, "We just wanted to know what was going on here."

"Well, according to President Kotono," the girl looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was listening, "She says nothing happened. But something must have, right? Hino-san wasn't a member of this club, but I know she was absent today. Is she alright?"

"Um," Makoto said, "We just wanted to hear, from your guys' perspective, what happened at the festival."

"Makoto-senpai?" Makoto turned around to see Asanuma staring at her.

"Asanuma-chan? What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, "I helped out at the school festival. I saw some police here, so I told them what I saw. Did you hear about the nun they found that had been burned? Nobody can identify who she was. But what happened to Hino-san? Is she alright? She looked so delicate."

"Delicate?" Makoto nearly laughed, but suppressed it. She was about to make up a story about Rei when Kotono stepped up next to them.

"We saw what happened. Hino-san and I. The sister that burned was one of the nuns with black moons on their forehead. Hino-san told me not to say anything about what happened, but how could I? And now I can't get a hold of her. Where did she go?"

"Don't worry," Makoto put on a brave face, "She'll be back in school really soon, I'm sure of it. But what did you say about these sisters with black moons?"

"I had never seen any of them before," Kotono explained, "This new girl I had never seen before was there also, telling bad fortunes. Nobody else at this school recognized her either. She said she was part of some Black Moon club, but nobody around here knows what that is."

Ami nodded. This was good information, but they could have figured this out on their own, "Did anything else strange happen? Maybe the day before?"

"Right," Asanuma held up his camera, showing them his photograph, "I got a photo of a UFO here, the day before the festival. And then the day of, another guy from my club got one too. And you know what they say, first is a UFO sighting, second comes abduction."

Makoto and Ami gasped. That was exactly what happened to Rei, they realized. She had been abducted by aliens.

"Scary stuff," Makoto said to break the silence, "Anyway, we should get going. Thanks."

Asanuma watched them leave through the window, and was surprised to see the two girls meet up with their friends he had met at the smoothie shop and, he gasped, Mamoru-senpai was there was well.

"Those people," he said to Kotono, pointing at them through the glass, "They just aren't ordinary. There's something about them. Hino-san was like that too. They have some sort of secret."

Asanuma thought nothing else of it until the next morning. He was yawning as he trudged thorough the school gate, listening to the other boys greet each other and say good morning. He jumped when he heard someone say to him, "Hey, good morning."

It was Mamoru. Asanuma nervously replied, "Oh! Good morning, senpai!"

Mamoru hadn't actually spoken to him since the day Asanuma took the entrance exam. He had been running late that morning, and rushed through the school gate and talked to the first person he saw in the school uniform, "Excuse me! Which way to the junior high building?"

He stopped in his tracks when he saw the color of his eyes for the first time, and told himself it was something to do with the glasses the man was wearing. He looked down at Asanuma and asked, "Are you sitting the exam today?"

"Yeah," Asanuma was out of breath from running, but still felt the need to impress this guy, "My Mom and Dad pressured me to take this exam, but the more I researched the school and its history, the more I want to go here too. It's one of the most prestigious boys schools in all of Tokyo!"

"Prestigious, eh?" he laughed, "That's not what I would call it. You have to really want it in order to survive. We're all starved and tired here. But you should go for it," he reached out his hand, and when Asanuma shook it, he felt something surge through him, like a spark.

Mamoru removed his glasses, and Asanuma was surprised to find that his eyes really were dark blue. He said calmly to him, "You'll pass, I know it."

And he had. He passed easily. Asanuma wasn't a superstitious person then, but he had the feeling that, if he didn't shake Mamoru Chiba's hand, he wouldn't have been accepted at all.

Asanuma decided that he really did need to keep a close eye on Mamoru after all. What with all the strange events happening around him, he just knew that Mamoru had something to do with it, somehow. He got his chance during history, when he looked out the window to get away from the boring lecture and saw some of the high schoolers doing gym. They were playing soccer on the lawn. He kept his eye on Mamoru, who was a goalie, and nearly called out when someone accidentally kicked Mamoru's arm while he tried to stop the ball from getting into the net. He watched the soccer players gather around, looking at Mamoru's badly scratched arm. Mamoru made his way toward the building, probably to go to first aid, but ducked around a corner. None of the boys playing soccer could see him, but Asanuma could. He gaped as Mamoru waved a hand over his injury, and the scratches on his arm slowly faded away.

Asanuma couldn't believe his eyes. No normal human could do that. Who was this guy?

When school let out, he watched carefully as Mamoru left the building, wondering what other bizarre things he could do. He toyed with the notion that Mamoru could possibly be an alien. He watched Mamoru walk through the gate, his book bag casually over his shoulder, acting as if he didn't have any powers at all.

"What am I thinking?" Asanuma mumbled to himself, "I'm just being paranoid, how could he be an alien?" he flung his book bag over his shoulder and went home.

Prince Diamond sauntered through the halls of his palace and into Sapphire's workshop. He marveled at the powerful furnace that was constantly ablaze.

"Every time I see it," Prince Diamond remarked, "I'm impressed with the power of the black crystal."

"What are you doing here, Prince Diamond?" Sapphire lazily asked from the shadows, "I'm doing exactly as you ordered, making droids from black crystal and sending them to Earth."

"And you do a fine job," Prince Diamond smiled at his little brother, "The alchemy you use to breathe life into those droids is a work of art."

"I heard you captured Sailor Mars," Sapphire stood next to him, "Why? What's the point of that? It could have been a dangerous move."

Prince Diamond shrugged, "I felt like it. What, do you give the orders around here now?"

He looked into his brothers eyes, and his black moon changed shape into a third eye. Sapphire stared into it, mesmerized, submitting to his brother's will once again.

"What's the big deal?" Rubeus said from the doorway of the workshop. Prince Diamond hid this third eye quickly as Rubeus continued, "I swore loyalty to my prince, and whatever he says, I do. I don't care how reckless your methods are."

Rubeus knelt before his prince, kissing the hem of his cloak as he explained, "I've put Sailor Mars in the Room of Darkness. There's no way she can escape from there."

"Good," Prince Diamond smiled, "Wiseman is appearing."

A few seconds later, the cloaked figure hovered near them, his hands twisting around his crystal ball as he explained, "Your instincts serve you well, Prince. There is great value in a captured sailor soldier."

"Understood," Prince Diamond nodded, "I suppose she can live for now, at least until our objective is fulfilled."

Another of the Weird Sisters appeared at Rubeus' side. She had white, braided hair and was dressed in a sky blue leotard with matching gloves and knee high boots. She nodded at Prince Diamond, "Let me go next. I want to go to Earth and get revenge for my sister."

"We are launching Operation: Remove," Rubeus nodded at her, "Go capture some pawns, Beruche. Especially that annoying Rabbit."

"Your move, Mizuno-san."

Ami blinked. She had almost forgotten that she was in chess club. She was dwelling on what Rei had said before the last attack began. Something about how the enemy was already among them.

"I should get going," Ami stood, not wanting to concentrate on chess anymore, "I have somewhere to be."

"But what about the tournament tomorrow?" the girl she was playing against asked.

"Oh, I'm not even sure if I can go," Ami smiled, collecting her things.

"Then teach us some tricks if you can't make it!" the girl insisted, "Didn't you beat the junior Grand Master of Japan last year?"

"Where did you hear that?" Ami blushed.

The girl shrugged, "I Googled you."

"Well," Ami felt that cold embarrassment creeping over her whenever someone pointed out an aspect of her genius, "I need to go."

Before Ami could leave the school, she heard a scream down one of the halls. Afraid that the enemy was now at her own school, she dashed over to find a girl standing next to the drinking fountain, covered in water.

"What happened to you?" Ami asked, and she replied, "The water pressure here is extreme! I just turned on the tap and the water shot out like a fountain! And look," the girl held out her hand, and gave the tap to Ami.

"The pressure was so great that the faucet came off," Ami stared at it quizzically.

"I heard this happens at the toilets in the other building too," the girl said before leaving, squeezing water out of her hair.

"So," Ami closed her eyes, ready to solve a puzzle, "The problem isn't in the pipes here."

Ami used her power to feel the flow of water all around her. It was surging through the pipes in all the walls and the floor, surrounding her. She followed that flow outside, feeling the force going through the ground, until she came to a location where the flow seemed blocked. She flagged down a janitor, and she helped him dig down to the main pipe, which was so cracked that it was leaking water.

"How did you know it was here?" the janitor asked her. Ami just shrugged.

"You can dowse without a pendulum," came a woman's voice behind her, and she turned to see a woman with braided, white hair wearing a blue dress, "that's considered a deformity, you know," she said coldly, turning her back on Ami and walking away. Ami just stood there, stunned.

Tension was growing in Ami, almost as badly as the school pipes. There was Rei's abduction, the mystery of Chibiusa, the buildup to a chess tournament, and the appearance of this strange, rude woman. Ami decided to relax in the best way she knew how. She went home, got her bathing suit, and went straight to the sports club that her father belonged to. She dove right into the indoor pool, and everything worry suddenly gone. It was just her and the water. She was one with it, swimming like a fish down to the deepest end, or floating on the surface, or doing laps back and forth. She smiled, wondering if it had water flowing through her veins instead of blood.

"Ami-chan!" Usagi's voice interrupted her swim, and she was surprised to see Usagi and Naru step into the pool area, wearing bathing suits.

"What are you two doing here?" she asked, getting her hair out of her face.

"My Mom is a member here," Naru smiled, "I could tell Usagi-chan was feeling down, so I dragged her over here."

"Oh," Ami sat on the edge of the pool, "I usually only come here with my Dad, but I felt like I needed a swim."

"You never talk about him," Usagi said, joining her friend and dipping her feet in the water, "Is he a doctor like your Mom?"

"Oh, no way," Ami laughed, "He's a Japanese-style painter. He lives in the country to do his artwork, so he's rarely in the city. But he taught me how to swim here," she looked down at her submerged feet, "And he taught me how to play chess. I guess I get my shyness from him too; he taught me how to be quiet and calm."

Naru was near the television, changing the channel to watch something.

"What's on, Naru-chan?" Usagi asked.

"There's this cool new show where they profile people with psychic powers," Naru explained, "I want to see who is on today."

Ami gasped when she saw the guest. It was the same woman she saw at school.

"Today we are interviewing the world famous dowser, Miss Beruche! Dowsing, for those at home who don't know, is the ability to find things with a pendulum. It was originally discovered to find lost items, gold, or water. Dowsing is still a mystery today, and only a few are capable of performing it. But recently, our guest discovered the location of a missing child using just her pendulum stone and a map! How does it work, Beruche?"

"It's simple," she shrugged and smiled, "My crystal just swings in the direction of whatever I need to find."

"I've also heard that you are a chess grand master," the interviewer said, "Does your dowsing help you play?"

"Yes," she smiled, "Actually, I'm here in Japan for a chess tournament. I have an opponent I wish to beat. I would like to take this opportunity to challenge the supposed teenage genius, Ami Mizuno-san."

Ami just sat there, stunned. Usagi grabbed her shoulder, "Who is this person?"

"I don't know," Ami said quietly, "But now at least I know whether or not I'm attending the tournament."

Ami was watching the audience from the side of the stage. She wished she could just be nervous about the competition. Instead, she couldn't get that woman out of her head. Finally she spotted her backstage, and she strode up to Ami and said, "Finally, I get the chance to meet you."

"Why me?" Ami asked.

She shrugged, "I've just heard some rumors about you. I want to see for myself."

"I read up on dowsing last night," Ami said quietly, "I know it's not the most reliable method, but... I was wondering if you could help me. I need to find a person."

"You know, you can do it yourself," she smiled, "I mean, you can manipulate water, can't you? It's just the same trick, right Sailor Mercury?"

Ami was sure her heart had stopped.

"My sister, Cooan, played it safe. It's always better to capture the bigger pawns than the little ones you happen to pick up. Now, I need your secrets," she took out her dowsing pendulum, which was a very dark stone, "and my black crystal is going to help me uncover them."

Ami was about to scream, and she felt eternally grateful that Usagi and Makoto had popped backstage at that very moment to wish Ami luck. The two gasped when they saw what was happening.

"Oh, is she here too?" Beruche laughed, "The little rabbit brat?"

Her instincts kicked in, and Ami finally moved. She saw a bunch of breaker switches near the edge of the stage and flicked as many as she could as once. They were thrown into darkness, and she heard the audience start to panic. Now was their chance.

"Mercury Star Power, Make Up!"

"Jupiter Star Power, Make Up!"

"Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Sailor Jupiter was the first to attack, and her lightning lit up the stage, "Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

Beruche dodged the attack, and they were blinded as she opened up the emergency exit that led outside. The three soldiers chased her only to realize that she had blended in with the crowd outside.

"I can find her," Ami activated her special glasses to scan the crowd, only to realize that most of those people weren't people at all, but robots. Before she could warn her friends, they charged right at her, grabbing her and pinning her down to the ground.

"What's going on?" Sailor Moon called out.

"Attack them!" Mercury screamed, "They aren't real people! The enemy is pretending to be human!"

"Venus Love Me Chain!" Sailor Venus ran up from behind them and quickly whipped the robots off of Mercury with one swipe of her chain. They short circuited and collapsed.

Mercury stood and sent an attack out, "Shine Snow Illusion!" Snow flew everyone, and the real humans in the crowd fled, leaving Beruche standing her ground and smiling.

"You think your pathetic magic can stop me?" she said, and she knelt down in front of a man hole, resting her hand on it. It quickly buckled, and then shot out a huge stream of water that rushed right for Mercury, surrounding her.

She felt herself drowning, and found herself floating in a dangerous whirlpool.

"No you don't!" Sailor Moon screamed out, recognizing the enemies tactic. She made the Moon Rod appear in her hand and pointed it at Beruche, "Moon Princess Halation!"

And, like her sister before her, Beruche shattered in the light.

Even though the enemy was defeated, the water attack remained. Sailor Moon watched helplessly as she witnessed her friend drowning.

"Rolling Heart Vibration!" Sailor Venus tried to attack it, but it did nothing at all.

That was when Rubeus appeared once again, laughing at them, "Attacking Beruche's spell isn't going to do anything, stupid soldiers."

Sailor Moon knew she had to act quickly before he took Sailor Mercury. She pointed the Moon Rod at him and screamed out, "Moon Princess..."

But he disappeared even quicker than before. He and Mercury vanished, flying into the air in a disc shaped light.

"Mercury!" Sailor Moon screamed up at the sky, "Mercury, not you too!"

Chibiusa clutched her Tuxedo Kamen doll as she watched from her hiding place, repeating the phrase she heard from her father and from Mamoru, "Sailor Moon is invincible."

She wondered if it was true.


	18. Act 3: Secret

Act 3: Secret

Usagi was dreaming that Mars and Mercury were dangling right in front of her, but she couldn't reach them. They were screaming for help. The moment she got close enough, they vanished into the sky inside of bright, flying saucers.

She woke up with a start. Once she realized her dream was reality, she began to cry. She hugged her knees tightly, desperately wishing to know what to do and where they were.

Usagi's bedroom door slowly creeped open, making her jump, "Who is there?"

Luna-P rolled inside, and to Usagi's surprise, it started squirting water out of its eyes. It spoke in a robotic voice, "Don't cry, lady. Don't cry, lady."

"It talks!" Usagi leaped off the bed, preparing to smash the ball with her pillow.

"Don't hurt Luna-P!" came Chibiusa's voice from her bedroom door. Usagi froze to see the little girl in her new school uniform, which was a white top with a red and blue collar and bow, and the same navy skirt.

"Luna-P?" Usagi asked, 'That's its name? Did you name it after Luna?"

Chibiusa pursed her lips together, thinking for a moment, before revealing what she was hiding behind her back. She handed Usagi a cloth Tuxedo Kamen doll, "Here, you can have him for a while."

"What the heck is this?" Usagi stared at the doll, "Where did you get this?"

"Mamo-chan gave it to me."

"Ma-ma-MAMO-CHAN! Look, you are _not _allowed to call him that! Ever, okay? And how come he gave you something like this, and never gave anything to me?"

Chibiusa just shrugged, "Sorry. I thought you were sad, since you were crying and all. Whatever," and she picked up Luna-P and left.

Now Usagi felt awkward. Chibiusa was trying to cheer her up, and all she did was yell at her. She wanted to go apologize, but didn't know what to say, or how to act. So she just sat back on her bed, holding the doll.

There was a meeting planned at the arcade that day, and Usagi was surprised to see Mamoru inside, waiting for her. She smiled, forgetting that since he was officially on their team, he would be at important meetings like this from now on.

"Hi, Usako," he grinned at her, "We're the first ones here. Just us three for now."

"Three?" Usagi stopped in her tracks, looked down, and realized that Chibiusa had followed her the entire way. Chibiusa seemed nonplussed, and was much more interested in the games at the arcade.

"What's this?" she said, moving over to a crane game.

Usagi sighed, realizing that this was a good way to make up to Chibiusa, even though she didn't really feel like it, "You have to move the crane to get the dolls. Watch," Usagi put in her money, moved the crane with the joystick, and groaned when it came up empty.

"Wow, you're bad at this," Chibiusa stated.

"Hey!" turned to the girl, "You don't need to say that, you know!"  
>"Usagi-chan!" Motoki came her way, holding a cardboard box, "We got new dolls for that game. Do you want one? I think you'll like it. Here, you can have one too," and he gave Usagi and Chibiusa a Sailor V doll each.<p>

The two girls spoke in unison, "Wow, Sailor V dolls, awesome!"

Motoki laughed, "Have you played Sailor V Fighter, Chibi Usagi? Here," he slipped her a coin, "Your first round is on me."

Chibiusa sat down at the game, put in her coin, and played as if she had known how to play for her entire life. Usagi and Mamoru watched in amazement as Chibiusa advanced levels, not getting hurt even once, and soon surpassed the highest score.

Minako soon rushed into the arcade, her old Sailor V alarm was beeping, "What's going on? Who is playing Sailor V?"

"Look, V-chan," Usagi pointed at Chibiusa.

"Do you see that score?" Motoki commentated, "How old are you, kid?"

Chibiusa ignored their comments, and just smiled and said, "This game is really fun," as if Sailor V was the most effortless game in the world.

The four of them stared back at her.

"What else is there? I'm bored," Chibiusa hopped down from her seat and went to look at another crane game.

"Oh, this one has candy instead of dolls," Usagi said, "You're guaranteed to win, but it's not really worth it. You don't get a lot of candy."

Chibiusa was staring intently at all of the candy in the machine, and didn't notice when Makoto entered the arcade, wearing a sick mask.

"Mako-chan, are you alright?" Usagi asked.

"Yeah," Makoto said behind her mask, "Just not feeling quite right. Must be the weather, the wind is making my allergies bad. What's Chibiusa doing?"

They all turned to find Chibiusa holding two armfuls of candy. She had nearly cleaned out the machine.

"What did you do?" Mamoru asked her.

"Just played the game, Luna-P helped," she nodded at the ball, which was sitting next to the crane controller. Mamoru was afraid to touch it again, and wondered just what kind of powers it really had. Surely it could do more than talk and make game cranes move.

"Alright, you've had your fun," he said, patting her head, "Why don't I walk you home? Usako and the girls have business here, and besides, I have prep school," he picked her up as he waved to the girls, "See you all later."

Usagi shot the two of them an annoyed look. She didn't feel better about what she had done that morning, she just felt more irritated.

Once they were both gone, the girls went into the control room, where Luna and Artemis were waiting for them. After Usagi explained everything that had happened upstairs, Luna sighed, "Chibiusa never ceases to amaze me. What would have happened if she unlocked this control room through the Sailor V game?"

"She can't," Artemis said quickly, "I've set up enough protection on the game. Only we can get in."

"I'm sorry," Usagi sighed, taking a seat at a computer, "This was my fault. Chibiusa followed me here."

"But Usagi-chan," Luna winked, "Didn't Chibiusa manage to cheer you up a little? She's not so terrible, now is she?"

Usagi sighed, and decided to get to the real matter at hand, "Have you located Mars and Mercury?"

"No luck," Artemis glanced toward his computer, where a map of the Earth was rotating across the screen, "There's no signal from their communicators. In that case, it's possible they aren't even on Earth."

"I just want to know if they're okay," Usagi sighed. This experience was bringing back too many memories of when Mamoru was captured by the Dark Kingdom, and she didn't know whether he was alive or dead. She hated this feeling, and it was almost as bad now that it was happening to her best friends.

"So, this Black Moon," Minako began her usual pacing, "What is their objective? Are they after the Silver Crystal? Their acts just seem so strange. They're infiltrating our lives, attacking us with robots, and trying to kidnap us one by one. What do they want?"

"Didn't you hear what that last enemy, Beruche, said?" Makoto said. She had taken off her sick mask and was leaning against a wall, "Right when we arrived, she said something about a little brat rabbit. You don't think she meant Chibiusa?"

"What?" Usagi gasped, "What would they want with Chibiusa? And if that's all they want, they can stop by my house any time and pick her up, they'd be welcome to."

"Don't say that, Usagi-chan," Minako said, "She's probably the missing piece in this puzzle. She probably knows everything."

"Right," Makoto said, "We still don't know much about her. It's not every day that a little girl falls from the sky, calls herself Usagi, carries a Silver Crystal around her neck, and seems completely innocent and not threatening at all."

"So do we still trust her?" Minako wondered out loud.

"All we do know is that she's involved in this somehow. She's valuable to the enemy," Makoto continued, "We can't let them near her until we unlock this mystery."

She would have said more, if she didn't begin to cough. Usagi rubbed her back, "Are you okay, Mako-chan?"

"Yeah, it's just a cold," Makoto explained.

"Here it is," Luna was fiddling with one of the computers, making it tune in to a local news station, "They said they were doing a piece of UFO landings, and I think it's about to start."

They crowded around the screen as they listened, "A late rainy season is ushering in, so expect lots of showers coming up soon. And it seems that the common cold is on the rise, so please be mindful in this change of weather. But now, on to our top story. Crop circles have started to appear in Tokyo. Once a popular prank among teenagers in England and the United States, crop circles appear in open spaces and take on strange, alien-like shapes. This phenomena has begun once again in Tokyo, except nobody has come clean about making them, nor has anyone been spotted creating them. If anyone has any information, they should contact the police. And now..."

Makoto turned off the television, "It's so creepy. It's like they're quietly letting us know that they're here. I just wish I would know what they are planning next. I hate playing the enemy's game when they are in charge of the rule book."

Chibiusa watched Mamoru leave, then spied on Ikuko. She was in the kitchen, making shabu-shabu and talking to her husband on the phone.

She sighed. She wasn't happy here. What she wanted was her family back. As nice as it was in the Tsukino house, it wasn't the same. She liked being with Mamoru, but he just treated her like some little kid that needed to be taken care of. And she wanted to be friends with Usagi, but Usagi seemed to just hate her.

Chibiusa left, not caring if Ikuko would get worried, and went to the park. She felt some drops of rain, so she bounced Luna-P and had it change into her umbrella. She heard a gasp, and saw a little girl watching her, her mouth wide open in surprise.

Chibiusa grinned. Showing off was one of her favorite things. She swung the umbrella and sang, "Abracadabra, poof!" and birds flew out of it.

The little girl ran to her mother, "Mama, did you see that? That girl made doves come out of her umbrella! She's magic!"

"Is that so?" the girl's mother said, "Let's get going, it's about to start raining."

Chibiusa just stared at the girl, mad at her mother for not believing her. Her own mother would never say something like that. She kept singing her song, remembering that Sailor Pluto had told her it would help her relax, "Abracadabra, abracadabra, poof!"

It didn't work. The song only made her happy if Sailor Pluto was there to sing it with her. Frustrated at this world, she reached down her shirt and pulled out her key, thinking hard. At that moment, lightning forked across the sky, and the rain began to pour.

"Chibiusa, what are you doing here?" she turned to see Mamoru reaching out to her, "I brought you home, what are you..."

This time when he touched her, they both saw the vision. A great, shining city exploded inside a dark light. Mamoru nearly cried out himself when he saw Chibiusa in his mind's eye, covering her ears from the explosion and screaming, "MOMMY!"

The vision disappeared as quickly as it came. Chibiusa flung herself on Mamoru, shaking in fear.

"Chibiusa," he held her tightly and cradled her, and felt saddened when she looked up at him with tearful eyes. He had never seen her cry before.

"Mamo-chan," she began to wail.

Mamoru was still trying to figure out what he had seen, and tried to calm the both of them down, "Did the lightning scare you? Don't worry, it can't hurt you. We haven't even heard the thunder yet, so you know it's far away."

"I want my Mommy," she cried on his shoulder.

"Let's get out of this rain, and I'll make you some hot chocolate," Mamoru said gently, "Let's get Luna-P, and..."

He looked down at the ball, to find it beeping and whirring. Somehow, the lightning had broken it.

"Wiseman."

The hooded figure appeared before Prince Diamond, who was observing the bodies of the two sailor soldiers he had abducted. Sailors Mars and Mercury were beautiful and young, that was true, but that didn't interest him as much.

"They're just like the queen, aren't they?" Diamond asked Wiseman, "They're going to keep those good looks for eternity, thanks to the influence of the Silver Crystal. But immortality is inhuman, is it not? I can't wait to see her face when I crush that stone with my own fist."

"Haste makes waste, Prince Diamond," Wiseman said to him, "Don't become too excited. There is still plenty of work to be done."

Sapphire spoke up, "You underestimate these soldiers, Prince Diamond. We already have two losses because of them. Brother, we've worked tirelessly on our plan for years, and now you're throwing it out the window. If you didn't do whatever you felt like..."

Diamond angrily slapped his brother in the face, "How many times do I have to tell you? This is my plan and you will follow my orders! We are going to eliminate those in the way of our plan, don't you see what I'm doing? I'm not going to have you meddle with anything I do!"

Sapphire rubbed his face, knowing when to not talk back.

"Besides," Rubeus smiled, "These attacks are exciting. My next girl is prepared to fight, my prince."

A slender girl in a green leotard with very short, moss colored hair stepped forward and introduced herself, "I am Petz, the oldest of the Weird Sisters, and I have a much more bold approach than what my sisters tried to do. Let's really show them our power and launch Operation: Renew. We will change all the little humans into our pawns, leaving us free to hunt the Silver Crystal and the Rabbit."

"Good," Prince Diamond seemed eager to leave, "Go ahead then, do what you like. Now, I wish to be alone."

He retreated into his chambers and turned out the lights. He pressed a button on his control pad and activated his favorite hologram, a life size image of a beautiful girl wearing a long, flowing white dress. She had two pig-tailed buns in her silver hair, and a glittering crown sat above her upward crescent moon. Her eyes were closed and she was gently smiling. Her body was hovering over another hologram of Earth.

"Yes," Prince Diamond smiled, "Soon I will have everything I want. Everything."

Usagi had yet to go on an actual date with Mamoru, so she was thrilled when he called her and asked to meet her at the Crown Fruit Parlor.

"Really? When? Should I buy a new outfit? How about a movie after?"

"Let's just meet after school today," he said, "And bring Luna."

"Oh," she felt as if a happy balloon inside of her popped. She was even more upset when he showed up with Luna-P under his arm.

"She obviously stayed at your place again," Usagi grumbled, "As she never came home last night."

"Yeah, she was pretty upset," Mamoru sat down beside her and put Luna-P on top of the table, "When she went off to school, she asked me really nicely if I could fix this for her, but I have no idea how. I was going to take it apart, but there isn't even a seam."

Usagi did not want to spend her date talking about Chibiusa, "All day long, all I hear is 'Chibiusa this' and 'Chibiusa that' and 'Chibiusa is a sweet girl' and 'There's no way Chibiusa didn't crawl out Usagi's personal hell to torment her constantly.' Especially from my parents, I can't believe they actually enrolled her at Shingo's school."

"I thought you girls agreed last night to protect her," Mamoru said, "And she really looks up to you, Usako, she just doesn't know what to say. She loves and believes in Sailor Moon, but Sailor Moon doesn't give her a chance."

"You don't think she's the enemy either, do you?" she asked before sipping on her drink.

At that moment, Asanuma walked into the restaurant, and stopped in his tracks when he saw Mamoru on a date with his girlfriend. Curious, he decided to listen in.

"Of course she's not the enemy," Mamoru answered, "I can feel something when I touch her. I'm not sure what it is. I can feel that she's terrified, and she's depending on me to keep her safe. I know, deep in my heart, that she's not the enemy," he looked down at his hands, "I wonder if this has something to do with my power? My body hasn't been the same since Queen Metallia possessed me."

"Interesting," Luna said, "Maybe that has something to do with your developing powers. Could Chibiusa be triggering something in you?"

"But Chibiusa does have something to do with the enemy," Usagi pulled Luna into her lap and scratched behind her ears, "Maybe she was attacked and escaped here?"

"She must have lived in the place in my visions," Mamoru said, "It's a large city, with these huge, clear towers. Maybe that's where the enemy is," he turned to Usagi, "Maybe that's where Ami-chan and Rei-chan were taken away to. And Chibiusa knows where it is."

Luna was watching Luna-P, feeling like she was looking into a fun house mirror. She gave it a good swipe with her paw, and the eyes popped back to normal, except it also let out a cloud of pink smoke, making Mamoru and Usagi cough. Asanuma backed into a far table, thinking over what he had heard. Ami and Rei had been taken away somewhere, by an enemy. And Mamoru had mentioned his powers. Just what was going on with these people? He waited until Usagi and Mamoru had both left the restaurant before ordering a drink.

Makoto entered not long afterward, and she was wearing her sick mask and coughing into it violently.

"Are you alright, Mako-chan?" Unazuki said from behind her register.

"It's just a cold," Makoto struggled to say between coughing.

Unazuki rushed to her friend and felt her forehead, "I think you have a fever! Mako-chan, you need to be in bed."

Motoki walked through the door, cheerfully smiling, "I'm on break! How about some tea, little sis?"

"How about taking us to the drug store," Unazuki replied, "Mako-chan looks like she's about to collapse any minute!"

It was a short drive to the drug store, and the handsome pharmacist gave Unazuki the medicine, explaining, "This seems to be a new virulent strain of cold, so make sure your friend takes this. And it's been catching like wildfire, so please be careful, young lady."

"Yes, sir!" Unazuki gave him her best grin, and as they left she whispered, "He sure was hot, wasn't he Mako-chan? Should I ask for his number?"

"Nah," Mako-chan shook her head, "No point. Let's just go home."

"Wow, you really are sick," Unazuki sighed, "I would walk you home, but my brother and I have to get back to work."

"Here!" Asanuma ran up to them, obviously he had followed them, "I can take her home safely."

"Thanks!" Unazuki said, handing Makoto her medicine and hopping back into her brother's car.

"So what happened?" Asanuma asked as he walked alongside Makoto, "You're usually in perfect health."

"I dunno," Makoto replied, "I've been so busy. I haven't got a lot of sleep. I've been looking for... researching something a lot, and I can't fall asleep if I've been staring at a computer screen for too long."

"Why would you work yourself so hard..." he said, and tried to place a steady hand on her shoulder and was met with a strong static shock.

Makoto giggled, "Yeah, you don't want to touch me when I'm sick like this. I build up a lot of static electricity when I'm not at my best."

Asanuma just stared at her, shaking his sore hand.

"Because," Makoto continued, a little deliriously, "I can manipulate thunder and lightning. But why is this ground swaying so much?"

"We're nearly there!" Asanuma said, guiding her as best as he could without touching her, "Just keep going."

It was pouring rain when they finally went inside her apartment. Asanuma looked around, "Wow, it's so clean. And you have tons of houseplants."

Makoto flopped down on her couch and took off her mask, watching Asanuma look around her apartment.

He picked up a photo of her parents, "Is this your Mom and Dad? Where are they, anyway?"

She had told the story so many times that it seemed like nothing to her now, and she spoke casually, "They died in a plane crash."

"What?" he looked at her, concerned, "I'm so sorry Makoto-senpai. I didn't know."

"It's fine, really. How about some tea?"

When she got up to go to the kitchen, it finally dawned on him, "So, you live alone?"

"Yep. I have for a while. It has its good points and bad points, but at least I get to do whatever I want."

"But you live alone?"

"Yes," she said, watching the water boil.

"We are alone."

"You got it."

"We are alone in your apartment."

"Correct. What's wrong?"

"M-m-maybe you should get some sleep?" he said nervously.

Makoto laughed, and poured the tea into a cup for him, "Drink, it's fine."

He smelled his cup, realizing that it smelled exactly like her, "What kind of tea is this?"

"Rose tea, it's my absolute favorite. Wanna watch TV?" she sat down in front of her television and the news appeared on the screen.

"Tokyo is about to face its worst rainstorm of the year, so please be cautious if you are traveling. And next, another crop circle was discovered in the city. This most recent one was in an empty lot in Minato-ku. Witnesses claim they saw many lights in the sky near the abandoned space before these circles occurred. Of course, there are rumors of UFOs and aliens, however, police have been investigating..."

"More UFO stories," Asanuma said, sitting next to Makoto as he sipped the tea, "It seems that crop circles are in the news every day."

"Yeah," Makoto turned off the TV and coughed a little, "Seems that way."

"There was one discovered in Arisugawa Park, right by here. And there was one before that a few days ago. I can't believe there's all this weird stuff happening around me. Would you believe me, Makoto-senpai," he sat down his cup and looked at her dead in the eyes, "if I told you I heard a cat talking?"

Makoto just stared back at him, not knowing what to say.

"And what happened to Rei-san and Ami-san? Where were they taken away to? And by whom?Mamoru-senpai says he has some kind of power, and you build up an electrical charge. What am I to believe? Are you all human? Or are you... aliens?"

At that last statement, Makoto had a good laugh, "Do I have green skin and antennae, Asanuma-chan?" then she spoke more sincerely, "You remind me of someone I used to know. She was always very direct and honest. She had a good heart, but I couldn't get into a deep friendship. I didn't have anybody, and I didn't want anybody around me. Then I realized one day that I had to move here, specifically to Azabu-Juuban. I had to get away from that old life, if you could call it that. I wasn't living at all, I just existed day to day. It was a bad time. I didn't have goals and I didn't want friends."

She looked back at him, and he was hanging on every word. Instead of rambling, she decided to answer his questions, "Mamoru's power is called psychometry. He can sense things just by touching certain objects. He can emit a power from his aura to his fingertips, and can even use that power to heal or attack someone. Of course, ordinary humans don't have this power, but he is human. We all are. We are soldiers, fighting an enemy. My friends have been captured, and we are doing everything we can to help get them back. We're going to fight. And it's that fight that saved me. I love my friends and I have a goal I can believe in. That alone makes me brave, and I'm not scared of anything anymore. You'll understand it someday, when you have someone you love, or very close friends..." she began to cough again.

"Makoto-san," he rested his hand on her back, "You're so strong. Like, amazingly strong. All of you are. I would give anything to have even just a tiny bit of your friend's strength," he reached for her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze, "I know I'm just a seventh grade boy, but if there's anything I can do to help you, Makoto-san..." he took a deep breath, "If I had power, I would protect you."

Smiling, she leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

Asanuma remained still for a moment. He thought it over, and realized it would be for the best if he left, right now, "I should go. But I'm not going to tell anyone your secret. I swear," he walked out casually, and Makoto glanced out the window to see him leave. Once he got to the sidewalk, he ran quickly, wanting to get home before he changed his mind.

That was when her illness really hit her. She felt dizzy and groggy, and she laid back down on her couch and turned the television back on, so she could listen to something besides the rain as she fell asleep.

"A weather warning has been released," her television said, "A typhoon may be heading straight for Tokyo..." and the TV went silent, and her power went out. Makoto sat up, looking around her apartment in the dark, wondering what she should do. When she looked out her window, she saw a bright light sweeping toward her, in the shape of a saucer. She realized it looked like the light that took Mars and Mercury, but when she got to her feet she became so light headed that she collapsed on her floor.

Usagi and Luna were watching the rain pelting down against her window, "This wind is crazy. Where did this storm come from?"

"I'm more worried about the cold that everyone's catching," Luna added, "I can't believe your parents and your brother all have it but you don't."  
>"Yeah, and Naru-chan and Mako-chan. I guess I eat healthier than I thought."<p>

Usagi's communicator beeped, and Minako's face appeared over the clock, "Usagi-chan, I've been trying to get a hold of Mako-chan. Furu-chan said she was really sick, and she's not responding to her communicator."  
>"Maybe she's resting," Usagi said.<p>

"I'm just worried," Minako said, "Especially after what happened with Ami-chan and Rei-chan. Even if she is resting, let's go to her apartment to check on her."

Petz was admiring her storm from the top of a building. She thought out loud, "This saucer spread that disease faster than I thought. Humans are so weak. They shouldn't live long now. Droids!" she turned to her robot army, "Take the form of the humans that are infected and replace them!"

Makoto was awakened by something very powerful against her throat. She couldn't breathe. She slowly opened her eyes to see herself leaning over her, strangling her and laughing.

Makoto tried her best to fight it off. They both rolled on the floor, trying to hurt one another. Makoto managed to activate her communicator and call out, "Usagi-chan, help! The enemy is here!"

"I'm just outside your apartment! I'll be right there!" Usagi answered.

Feeling a little stronger, Makoto managed to shove the fake off of her to buy time to call out, "Jupiter Star Power, Make Up!"

Sailor Jupiter got to her feet, picked up her copy, and tossed it to the floor. The droid snapped in half, and Makoto could finally see its true form, short circuiting on her carpet. Then she remembered seeing the saucer, and she threw open her front window to see a woman standing on her balcony, dressed in green to match her hair, and a black moon on her forehead, "Why can't you sailor soldiers just die already? You killed my pretty sisters, and I, Petz, have come to kill you."

"In your dreams," Sailor Jupiter answered, "Flower Hurricane!"

Petz shrugged while she was being surrounded by rose petals, "You call that a hurricane? Why don't I show you a tornado? And all I need is one of my black crystal earrings."

She held up one of her earrings and it stayed upright in mid-air. Sailor Jupiter could feel the air pressure swirling around it, and knew that it was definitely going to wipe out her building.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" she attacked Petz with her lightning powers, and Petz simply turned it back on her. Sailor Jupiter screamed as she felt herself become surrounded by electricity, and began floating in the air.

"No, not Jupiter!" Sailor Moon yelled when she saw what was happening from the street. She reached for her Moon Rod but was quickly accosted by a group of humans. Her and Sailor Venus were pinned against a wall, unable to defend their fellow soldier.

With one free hand, Sailor Moon put on her goggles and saw that they weren't humans at all, but the enemy's droids, "Venus, it's Black Moon!"

"Venus Love Me Chain!" she whipped her chain around, killing the droids that were attacking them.

"Now to save Jupiter," Sailor Moon resolved. She looked up at the woman that had trapped her friend, pointed her weapon at her, and attacked, "Moon Princess Halation!"

Before Petz could turn around, she was hit by the attack, and shattered like a piece of glass.

"Jupiter!" Sailor Moon called out, but already Sailor Jupiter was being surrounded by a saucer, "No Jupiter! Please don't take her! JUPITER!"

Crimson Rubeus laughed as he watched the scene from the rooftop, "Sailor Moon looks so small from here. Such a tiny little pawn in the prince's cruel game."


	19. Act 4: Rebirth

Act 4: Rebirth

"Not again," Artemis grumbled from the control room as he followed Sailor Jupiter's signal, and watched it slowly fade away, "Damn. She's gone. How are we supposed to track these Black Moon saucers? Where are they going?"

Meanwhile, Sailor Moon flung herself into Sailor Venus' arms, and sobbed on her shoulder, "Jupiter, no! Why does this keep happening?"

"Sailor Moon! Venus!" she heard Tuxedo Kamen call out, and soon he and Luna were by her side, comforting her. Sailor Moon didn't want to let go of Venus; she couldn't bear it if she lost another friend to Black Moon.

"Luna, what's that?" she heard Tuxedo Kamen say, and they all turned to see a small hole in the street. In the center of it sat a black quartz crystal, set in an ornate earring mount. It looked like it had fallen from the sky and made a crater upon impact. Luna carefully walked up to it.

"Be careful, Luna," Venus said, "I saw that witch use it against Jupiter. That's what made the cyclone that trapped her."

"Something's not right about it," Tuxedo Kamen added, "Look, can you see? It's emitting some kind of steam."

Sailor Venus opened her communicator, "Artemis, is the petri dish teleportation program still functioning?"

"Only you would remember all the weird things this place can do, Mina" Artemis replied, "I'm sending it now."

Before their eyes, a clear petri dish wish a crescent moon on top appeared, carefully scooped up the earring, and closed securely.

Sailor Venus could now safely hold the contained earring, "We should get to the control room. There's nothing else we can do here. I can't believe Jupiter is gone too."

Artemis led the debriefing at the arcade command center, "UFOs have been spotted in all twenty-three wards of Tokyo, with over two hundred reported sightings. But none of them are like the one that took our soldiers, so I think it's just the same one, over and over again. I've also been following all the stories about the crop circles around town, and there is an increase of discoveries right before each enemy attack. They must be their landing sites."

"So does that mean," Venus said solemnly, "that this enemy, Black Moon, could be aliens from outer space?"

"I wouldn't doubt it," Artemis confirmed.

"Then what do they want, to take over the planet?" Minako began pacing, "But they have to kill each of us before they begin their full scale invasion?"

"They're not dead," Mamoru said calmly, "Mars and Mercury and Jupiter, I mean. They can't be. If they wanted us dead then they would have killed us, instead of trying to abduct us."

"Then what is their plan?" Usagi said, distraught, "Don't you think they would be after the Silver Crystal or Chibiusa? Then why are they taking my soldiers?"

"I hate being at their mercy," Minako said, still pacing, "It's like Mako-chan said, they have the rule book. If only we knew... that does it, we have to ask Chibiusa. If she really does know something about Black Moon, then we have a right to know. That will determine whether she's our ally or enemy."

There was a beeping in the corner of the command center. Luna and Artemis checked the box where they had stored the black earring, "Look Artemis, it's energy level is decreasing rapidly. It's like it has negative power. Nothing in this world can do that, except for antimatter and black holes."

"An antimatter earring?" Artemis sighed, "Who are these people?"

Minako and Mamoru walked Usagi home after school the next day, just to see if she was feeling alright. She claimed she was, and she did her best to believe it. She had slept and ate, but she hated feeling fine about everything. She shouldn't be used to having her friends scooped up by the enemy.

Chibiusa ran out of the house to welcome them, "Hey everybody! I'm so glad you're all here!"

The three of them paused, since they had never seen this girl so cheerful.

"Sorry Mina-chan, Mamoru-kun," Ikuko came out of the front door to greet them as well, "Chibiusa-chan is so loud because she has a friend over."

"Come on," she grabbed Usagi's hand and led her inside the house, with Minako and Mamoru following her. A pretty girl with her hair in a bun was sitting in the living room, playing with Chibiusa's Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor V dolls. Chibiusa introduced her, "This is Momo-chan. She goes to my school. And she's half-Chinese and half-Japanese. Her parents own a restaurant. Did you know she can cook? She's gonna teach me how to cook too!"

"Okay, okay," Usagi said, wrenching her hand back, "We don't need to hear her biography. It's nice to meet you, Momo-chan."

The two girls returned to their play, and Mamoru smiled and said quietly, "Her personality has changed since she started going to school. She's much more social now, and friendly."

"Right," Luna was at their feet, carrying the earring sample in her mouth. She set it on the floor and said, "There's no way that happy little girl is the enemy."

"I'll take the earring," Mamoru said, leaning down to pick up the petri dish, "There's something I want to see."

"Alright, Mamo-chan," Luna said, "But be sure to bring it back to the control room, for safe keeping. We can't..."

Luna was interrupted by a loud, shrill scream. They all jumped to see Chibiusa staring at the earring in complete horror. She backed up from it, leaning against the farthest wall, covered her ears, and was screaming with all her might.

"What's wrong?" Minako and Usagi both asked, dashing toward her. Mamoru began to walk toward her too, before Chibiusa screamed at the top of her lungs, "Don't bring that thing near me!"

They all turned to look at the earring in Mamoru's hand.

"I don't see why we can't just kill the sailor soldiers," Sapphire said as he paced in front of Rubeus and Emerald in their command center, "Why are we toying with them? What's the point? You must agree, Rubeus. They are killing your own soldiers one by one!"

Rubeus shrugged, "It's not like they're actually alive or anything, just fancy droids. And it doesn't bother me. Whatever the prince asks me to do, I do, even if it involves losing some of my girls forever."

Emerald watched the two boys as she twirled her green hair in her fingers, "Really, did you two ever grow up? You still act like you do when we were kids. So stubborn to have things your way. Especially you, Sapphire."

"Emerald, really?" Sapphire sighed, "You shouldn't speak to me like that, I'm technically a prince too."

Emerald rolled her eyes and said in a deadpan voice, "Oh no, I'm shaking in my boots. You are so scary, Sapphire."

"Don't be so impatient, Sapphire," Rubeus said, "You always get like this whenever the plan has to change even the tiniest bit. Of course there are going to be little accidents here and there. But we have this planet and the black crystals on our side, so nothing is going to go wrong. We're going to win, we have to."

Rubeus held out his hands, gesturing around him, "We are on planet Nemesis, where black crystals grow like weeds. This planet is far more powerful than Earth. The Silver Crystal has nothing on this place."

"That's true," Sapphire sighed, "I just don't see why we have to have casualties if we have all of this boundless power."

The door slid open, and Prince Diamond walked in. Sapphire stiffened, wondering how much his brother had heard, and tried to continue nonchalantly, "Black crystal is an extremely powerful substance. We all saw what happened when we used it against that world. It's dead now. Prince," he turned to Diamond, "You already own that world, why do we have to focus on this other one?"

Prince Diamond grinned, "We haven't shown them just how powerful we are yet. I won't stop until I see its ruler's corpses at my feet. Then I will be satisfied. Wiseman is approaching."

They stood still as the hooded apparition materialized in the center of the room, and listened carefully as it spoke, "The black crystal is not at its full potential. It can't, if the Silver Crystal still exists. The Rabbit is very close to it at the moment. We must use our power, right now. Go and capture the Silver Crystal, destroy it, and let the power of the Black Crystal consume the galaxy."

He disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared. Prince Diamond left with a sweep of his cloak, "I am going to my chambers. I am not to be disturbed."

The three of them were left alone again. Sapphire was the first to speak up, "I know I shouldn't say this, but what do you all really think of that old fortune teller, Wiseman?"

"I must admit," said Rubeus, "It is strange how he just seemed to appear one day and Prince Diamond was instantly wrapped up in everything he said."

"It all comes from that power he gave Prince Diamond," Emerald said, in a rare moment of seriousness, "That third eye he has hidden under his crescent moon. That's where his influence stems from."

"I don't like him," Rubeus confessed, "It was much more fun when Prince Diamond gave his own orders. Now he gets his orders from Wiseman," he sighed, "But my loyalty to the prince will never change. I should get to work."

Rubeus left the control room to locate the final Weird Sister. She was standing in their room with her eyes closed, focusing on the remaining pieces of her robotic sisters.

"I see your sad fate," she whispered, "And I fear the same will happen to me, very soon."

Rubeus smiled at her. For some reason, Kalaveras had always been his favorite. It was probably the hair, he realized as he watched her. It was the same color as his, but she kept hers tied back nearly, while his was ruffled. He decided to interrupt her session, "Are you connecting to their spirits? I'm sorry you're all alone," he grabbed her from behind and kissed her shoulder.

"M-my Lord," Kalaveras stuttered, thrown off guard.

"The sailor team has been torn apart, so you should have a much easier time attacking them. Soon Sailor Moon will get to see what her world looks like as it crumbles apart. It will be beautiful."

"Right," Kalaveras smiled, "I will use my spirit medium powers to launch Operation: Rebirth. I will use the spirits of my departed sisters to manipulate the people of Earth. Soon they will all be worshiping Black Moon."

Mamoru carried Chibiusa into her bedroom and sat her on her bed. Chibiusa had buried her face in his shirt, afraid of looking up.

"Chibiusa," Minako began to question her, "Tell us what's wrong. What is that earring? What exactly does it do?"

Chibiusa looked up at her, still clutching Mamoru's shirt, "Because of that stone... my Mommy..." her voice trailed off.

"What did it do?" Minako interrogated, "What happened to your Mommy?"

Usagi interrupted, "How much do you know about Black Moon? What are they trying to do? Chibiusa, you have to tell us! We don't know anything, but you do!"

"Stop it!" Chibiusa shrieked, "I don't know, okay? I don't know!" she began to sob.

Mamoru held her tightly, "That's enough for today. Chibiusa, we won't bother you."

Usagi clenched her jaw. It wasn't fair. Chibiusa must know far more about Black Moon than she did, but Mamoru would rather keep this little girl from crying than rescue Mars, Mercury and Jupiter.

"But Chibiusa," Usagi said, "you have to swear that you're not our enemy."

"I'm not!" Chibiusa turned to Usagi, tears streaming down her face, "I swear I'm not!"

"So you're not our enemy, but you can't help us," Usagi said seriously, "If you can't help us, then I'm not going to help you at all."

Minako, Mamoru and Chibiusa all gasped at her. Usagi felt horrified at the looks her friends were giving her, and she ran into her own bedroom. She felt like a monster.

She stayed there for the rest of the day, only emerging when it was time to go to school the next day. She didn't say a word to anyone, and come lunchtime all she wanted to do was cry. She had been spending lunch with Ami and Makoto these past few weeks, and now she felt alone.

Usagi stood in the hallway, looking out a window. She was watching her classmates enjoying their lunch in the sunshine. They were laughing and having fun, without a care in the world. She had never hated or envied anyone so much.

Two girls walked by, and she heard one loudly say, "Hey, have you heard about the black..."

Usagi got a chill, and her heart began to beat instantly.

"...list of students who are failing English?"

Usagi clutched her heart, trying to force herself to calm down. She desperately needed to relax. She hated this person she had become: angry, paranoid, irrational, quiet... depressed. Her tears were beginning to rise up. She had never wanted her friends by her side so badly, and three of them had vanished before her eyes.

Arms went around her, and Naru pulled Usagi into a big hug, "You aren't eating lunch. This is bad. What's up with you?"

"I'm just not feeling right," Usagi sighed.

"Are you crying?"

"No."

"Did something happen with that hot boyfriend of yours?"

Usagi cracked a tiny smile, "No, he's fine."

"Darn, cause I'm totally planning on taking him the very second you two break up."

She finally let out a little giggle, "Good thing that will never happen."

"Come eat with me," Naru pulled Usagi's hand down the hall, "We can go to the audio-visual lab, I recorded that psychic show yesterday. It was so cool. Umino-kun and I watched it yesterday, and I was gonna loan it to Kuri-chan."

"You watched it with Umino?" Usagi asked as she took a seat in the empty classroom, "Was he at your house or something?"

"He was helping me study," Naru said as she fished the DVD out of her book bag.

"Ew! You actually let Umino-san into your house! Umino Gurio-san, right?"

"Yes, yes," Naru blushed a little and didn't look Usagi in the eyes, "I swear, we were just studying and watching TV. Now check this lady out."

"What's the topic today?" Usagi asked.

"Channeling," Naru smiled, "I've never heard of it before. It's when a person called a medium comes in contact with someone in another plane of existence, and that spirit can talk through the medium. Some mediums say they can communicate with people on other planets!"

Usagi could feel her heart beating fast again. Her enemy and her friends were probably on another planet somewhere. She had a very bad feeling about this video.

The medium on the television slouched in her seat as she made contact with a spirit. Usagi felt something unusual about this person, who was dressed in a gold top and skirt and had her red hair pulled back immaculately. She realized that it was the black crystal earrings that made her feel uneasy as the woman began to speak in a deep voice, "My name is Rubeus. I have come from far away, but I am close to you all right now. My friends and I are not enemies, or invaders. We want to guide the people of Earth on the right path... the path of the Black Moon..."

Usagi jumped out of her seat in surprise. She was staring right at one of her enemies.

"Usagi-chan? Are you alright?" Naru asked.

"She's lying!" Usagi pointed at the TV, "The person speaking through her _is _the enemy! Black Moon is the enemy!"

"How can that be?" Naru said, "Umino-kun said that the spirits that mediums talk to don't have actual forms. How could it be an enemy?"

"I need to go," Usagi was shaking, "I can't..." she lost the ability to speak, and just ran out the door.

Naru nervously watched her go. She had realized a while ago that her best friend was changing. Usagi was constantly worried, and always edgy. Her mind was always elsewhere. To top it off, Naru didn't know what else she could do. Everything that she had tried had backfired. She hoped, deep down, that Usagi would soon be okay.

Usagi called Minako on the communicator, explaining what she had seen. To Minako's surprise, the lady was a guest on the show again that day, and she and Artemis watched it in the control room.

The interviewer began the show, "Miss Kalaveras, people are becoming more and more worried as UFO sightings and crop circles increase across Tokyo. Have you come into contact with any of the supposed aliens?"

"Of course," Kalaveras smiled, "They can't help but notice that the Earth is in desperate need of help. Humans need to start believing in themselves. No medicine on this planet will help anyone realize it. Humans will soon understand that this planet is theirs to control as they like, without anyone controlling them."

"Alright," said the wary host, "But what about the aliens? Is there a possibility of invasion?"

"Yes," she closed her eyes, "The Black Moon are already here. They are warning us of the leaders of the White Moon. If the White Moon controls this planet, then the people will submit, and lose their will. The future looks bleak and oppressive."

"The White Moon?" Artemis gasped, "She's talking about us, isn't she? She's spreading propaganda," he shuddered, "I hope it's not the truth."

"Are you kidding me?" Minako was furious, "Of course it's not the truth! How would she know anything about the future? She's just stating that the Black Moon are invading and are attacking us!"

The show wrapped up with an announcement that Kalaveras would be back again tomorrow, but the live taping would be held in a larger public theater so more people could attend.

Kalaveras smiled into the television, and her upside down black moon symbol slowly appeared on her forehead, "I hope everybody can attend. Especially some special guests. Tomorrow, everyone will know the truth."

"It's a trap," Artemis stated plainly as Minako turned off the television, "If we just go there, they're going to have something planned for us."

"But we are going," Minako said resolutely, "That was a declaration of war."

Mamoru turned off his own television in his apartment, thinking along the same lines as Minako was. He knew they should go, but was worried that they would try to take Minako or Chibiusa... or even Usako. He went to his dresser and pulled out a glass box that he kept hidden. Inside of it was four stones that Motoki's friend, Reika, had procured for him. Mamoru wasn't sure that the replacements would work, but it was worth a try.

He set the four stones on his coffee table, sat in his armchair as if it were a throne, and began to meditate. He projected his energy toward the stones, willing them to come to life, and after a few strenuous minutes, four men appeared in his living room. They were like ghosts, see-through and wispy like mist, but they were definitely there.

"Master," the tallest one nodded at him.

"Kunzite," Mamoru replied, "Jadeite, Nephrite, and Zoisite. Something very bad is happening here. We have new enemies, and they're moving fast. One of them left this," and Mamoru set the petri dish containing the earring in front of his general's stones. The four of them stared at it. Zoisite shook his head in disgust.

"Time and space is distorting around that stone," Nephrite frowned, "Can you feel it, Prince?"

"It's troublesome," Jadeite concluded, "This enemy is very wicked."

"But we believe in your strength," Kunzite said optimistically, "And your power as well. And you will protect the princess with that power. That is the only way to defeat this enemy, or any enemy."

Mamoru frowned, "But I don't have power like they do. The princess and the sailor soldiers, I mean. This power I have is useless in battle. It's not fair... I hate that I was reborn with this lack of power. The princess's soldiers are being captured, one by one, and it will be up to me alone to protect the princess. But I can't. What's wrong with me?"

"Prince Endymion," Kunzite bowed, "You must believe in yourself, as we believe in you. You were reincarnated, which means that you do have power. It means that you will one day be King. You have already begun to walk down that road. Don't forget that, and you will find the power to fight. Don't lose your confidence, for the princess relies on it so dearly."

The four of them bowed, and disappeared. Mamoru just said quietly, contemplating the advice.

Usagi felt like she was never going to sleep normally again. She had been having nightmares about her friends ever since Rei was abducted. But, finally, she fell right to sleep that night and entered a relaxing, dreamless sleep.

She was so peaceful that she didn't hear Chibiusa quietly open her door, and tip-toe into her room toward her closet. Usagi didn't notice until the wind from her open window made her bedroom door creak, and she woke up to the sounds of someone scurrying away.

"Who's there?" Usagi groaned, half-asleep and wondering if she was beginning to have a dream again. But she snapped wide awake when she saw her school uniform hanging on her closet door. The front bow had been untied, and her transformation brooch was gone. She panicked; someone had stolen the Silver Crystal!

Minako was nervously listening to the live channeling from behind one of the theater doors. She waited anxiously for Usagi to show up as Kalaveras spoke, "Earth is entering the age of Aquarius. It is the beginning of a new cosmic millennium. It will bring about a time of great change."

Impatiently, Minako activated her communicator, "Usagi, where are you?"

"V-chan!" Usagi answered, and Minako could tell she was running, "It was stolen!"

"What was stolen?"  
>"My brooch! The Silver Crystal! I bet you anything Chibiusa took it! I have to find her and get it back."<p>

Minako quietly swore. Who knew when Usagi was going to arrive for the battle, if at all? Sailor Venus would have to face this fight alone.

Kalaveras continued, "Yes, Earth will face many changes, and we will guide this planet on the right path. Do not trust those from the White Moon. They will only bring disaster by using the Silver Crystal. Do not bow down to the rulers of the White Moon! We must destroy the Silver Crystal quickly! Trust the Black Moon."

Slowly, the audience all became hypnotized, falling into a trance. Minako grit her teeth and transformed, knowing that she would have to act now, even though she was alone.

"You're a fraud! What are you doing to these people!" Sailor Venus demanded, since she and Kalaveras were the only people awake in the entire theater.

Kalaveras came out of her trance and smiled, "Don't you like my channeling, Sailor Venus? I'm sure this will interest you."

Three hazy figures stepped up from the audience, and Sailor Venus nearly screamed. It was Mercury, Mars and Jupiter. They looked back at her, and suddenly shrieked in pain as their images twisted and contorted, finally disappearing.

"What are you doing to them?" Venus yelled.

Suddenly, in their place rose the spirits of the three fallen Weird Sisters. Kalaveras glared at her enemy, "Now I am reunited with the souls of my dead sisters, and now our full energy can be unleashed! Spirit Energy Attack!"

A strong burst of light emitted from Kalaveras, striking Venus and paralyzing her. She could feel her body being pulled apart in different directions. She knew this would be it, the moment where she would be taken away, but she didn't want to go without a fight.

"You're wrong, you know. This is still the Age of Pisces! It's the time of seeking the truth! You Black Moon people are lying to everyone, and that will be your downfall!"

"Is it?" Kalaveras laughed, "Don't you know what's happening to your precious Sailor Moon right at this moment?"

Venus finally felt afraid.

"My Lord Crimson Rubeus is finishing her off right now, for good. Along with that annoying Rabbit."

"Usagi!" Sailor Venus screamed as she tried to wrench herself away from the attack.

Usagi had been rushing with all her might toward the park, trying not to think about how she was leaving her friend alone in a dangerous battle. It was the only place where Chibiusa seemed to constantly wander off to, not to mention where she first appeared. The minute she entered the park, she spotted Chibiusa standing in an open space, holding her key up to the sky.

"Chibiusa!" Usagi yelled. Chibiusa gasped, and nearly dropped the brooch she had in her other hand.

Usagi continued, "I knew you stole it! Give that back right now!"

Chibiusa just shook her head, clutching the brooch to her chest.

"Come on, just give it back!" Usagi lunged for Chibiusa. At that moment, Luna-P made a little "Peep" sound, making Usagi jump in surprise. The spot where Usagi had been standing a second before exploded in a small burst of light, making Usagi and Chibiusa fall to their feet. Usagi realized that Luna-P was warning her of danger, and sure enough, Rubeus appeared before them.

"What quick reaction times. I suppose that's to be expected of Sailor Moon and Rabbit. Too bad you won't be quick enough to escape me," a dark light swirled around his hand, and the moment he released his attack, Tuxedo Kamen tackled Usagi and Chibiusa, shoving them out of the way. Rubeus angrily charged toward him, but Tuxedo Kamen whipped out his cane and jabbed at Rubeus, cutting his face.

Rubeus stepped back, feeling the blood on his cheek, "Oh, now you're all really asking for it. I suppose I should show you why I'm really called Crimson Rubeus. I'll make sure you three burn to death," now fire was swirling around him, lighting up the park.

Tuxedo Kamen's heart beat. There wouldn't be a way to escape from this fire. He wished with all his might that there was some way to really attack Rubeus, in the way that the sailor soldiers could. He remembered what Kunzite had said about believing in himself, and, very strangely, he could hear a voice in his head, "_Use you power. You have the ability to protect both of them_."

Tuxedo Kamen put his hands on the side of his face, wondering if the stress had finally made him hear voices. This voice was all too familiar, but he couldn't place it. It was someone he knew very well, but he couldn't pinpoint who it was for the life of him. It continued as Rubeus was about to send his attack at them, "_Use your power, Mamoru! Focus your strength on the enemy and attack!_"

Acting partly on the advice and partly on instinct, Tuxedo Kamen held out his hands, aimed them at Rubeus and called out, "Tuxedo Bomber!" He felt a great burst of energy emitting from his hands, which extinguished the flames and sent Rubeus flying backwards. Not wanted to be humiliated any further, he disappeared.

Tuxedo Kamen was stunned, and wondered where that power had come from. And, more importantly, who was that voice in his head, and why did it sound so familiar?

Usagi recovered from the battle quickly than the others. She grabbed Chibiusa, and grunted, "Gimme that!" as she took the brooch from the girl's hands. She transformed, "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!" and rushed toward Sailor Venus, with Tuxedo Kamen and Chibiusa at her heels. She arrived in time to hear Kalaveras say, "Crimson Rubeus is finishing her off, for good! Along with that annoying Rabbit."

"Venus!" Sailor Moon screamed at the sight of her friend about to be taken away. Acting quickly, she attacked Kalaveras, "Moon Princess Halation!"

Kalaveras shattered, and Sailor Moon rushed to her friend and grabbed her. The attack around Venus disappeared, and the two of them embraced.

"I'm so glad!" Sailor Moon said, near tears, as she squeezed Sailor Venus, "I don't know what I would do if you were taken away too."

"You arrived just in time," Venus smiled, "But what's going on with Chibiusa?"

They both looked over at the girl, who was standing close to Tuxedo Kamen protectively.

Sailor Moon walked up to her cautiously, and said gently, "Chibiusa, why did you take the Silver Crystal? What were you doing with it in that park?"

Chibiusa gulped, and began her confession, "I know I can't use the crystal, I've been told that a million times. But I just had to give it a shot. I had to at least try to get it. I know that the Silver Crystal of the past can work just as much magic as the Silver Crystal of the future. And I know that putting them close together is dangerous, especially if they touch. But with its power, I might be able to save..." she gulped, and removed the key and crystal from under her shirt, "I could save everything. So I had to come here."

"What are you talking about?" Sailor Moon said quietly, "What do you mean, the Silver Crystal of the future? Chibiusa, are you saying that..."

"You're the only hope the world has!" Chibiusa cried out, "Sailor Moon, you have to save my home! Save the Earth in the thirtieth century!"


	20. Act 5: Time Warp

Act 5: Time Warp

The crowd was stirring, slowly awakening from their hypnosis. Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus teleported Tuxedo Kamen and Chibiusa to the control room, where Luna and Artemis were waiting for them. There was a silence for a moment, as everyone had been shocked by what Chibiusa had said.

"Chibiusa?" Tuxedo Kamen finally said, removing his mask, "Did you come here from the future?"

She nodded, "I traveled across time. I came from Crystal Tokyo. There, it's the year 2912. I was afraid that you wouldn't believe me, so I didn't say anything that would let you know I was from your future."

"Why did you come here?" Sailor Venus asked.

"There was..." Chibiusa paused before continuing, "There was an explosion. Crystal Tokyo and everyone in it... I have to save my Mommy. But I don't know how. I don't even know what really happened."

Mamoru could sense that she was about to cry again, so he knelt down and held her close in his arms.

"Could it be," Luna said slowly, "That the same enemy that attacked Crystal Tokyo in the thirtieth century is the same enemy that is attacking us now? What if Mars, Mercury and Jupiter are in the thirtieth century right now?"

"Chibiusa," Artemis asked, "Was it Black Moon that attacked Crystal Tokyo?"

She began to clam up again, but Artemis pressed on, "Please tell us everything you know, even if it's hard to say. The more we know, the better chance we have of saving your mother."

"Right," Luna confirmed, "We really do want to help you, Chibiusa."

"Chibiusa," Sailor Venus said, "I think you should take us to the future."

Everyone gasped at her, but Sailor Venus was resolute, "That's the only way that we can really know everything. And if our friends are there, then we can get them back."

Chibiusa stared at her feet, "I don't know if I can bring you guys. Besides, it's... going to be hard to go back there."

Mamoru gave her a squeeze, "Think about it. But you know that we will do anything to help you, Chibiusa. We want to help your parents. But please consider it, alright? You don't have to decide now."

Usagi tried to ignore the fact that Mamoru was treating Chibiusa with more tenderness than he had shown her in a while. So she smiled, setting her jealousy aside, and said, "Let's go home, Chibiusa. We can just relax for a bit."

"I want to stay at Mamo-chan's," Chibiusa answered.

"What?"

"It's fine, Usako," Mamoru smiled, "You can all come with us."

Usagi watched from the doorway as Mamoru tucked Chibiusa into his bed. The little girl was wearing one of his button-down shirts, which was long enough to be the perfect nightgown for her. As he pulled the covers up to her chin he said, "Can I ask you something? Did you come here to our time all by yourself?"

"Nope," she reached over and grabbed Luna-P, "I always have Luna-P at my side."

Mamoru nodded and tried to smile, realizing that this girl was truly alone in this strange world. He bent down close to her and said, "Chibiusa, you are always running away from us, and if you keep it up, we can't help you very much. But please realize that you did not run away from your home, okay? You did an extremely brave thing by coming here by yourself... I mean, just you and Luna-P. You are a very strong small lady," he kissed her forehead, "Goodnight little bunny."

Mamoru shut off the lights and closed the bedroom door, turning to Usagi, "Where did Mina go?"

"She took Luna and Artemis back to her place," she put her hands behind her back and looked up at Mamoru, "You don't mind if, um, I stay here for a bit?"

"I suppose," he sighed. He was tired himself, since sleeping on his couch wasn't keeping him fully rested for school and fighting the enemy. He went into his kitchen to make some coffee.

"What do you think the thirtieth century is like?" Mamoru asked as the pot dripped, "It must be so strange going a thousand years into the past. I bet this world is completely backwards for Chibiusa."

Usagi looked around the kitchen, trying to think of any topic besides Chibiusa, and spotted his calendar, "Hey, isn't your birthday on August third?"

"Yes," he said, pouring his cup, "Why?"  
>"What do you want for your birthday?" she tried to act cheerful, "Think of anything, I promise I'll get it for you."<p>

He looked at her, puzzled, "Usako, August isn't coming for a while. Why are you thinking about my birthday already?"

She shrugged, "I just want to get you something. I've only been with you for a short time in this life, and we haven't really done anything, you know, relationship-wise. We haven't gone on dates or bought each other gifts. We just haven't had the chance to do any of that, and it's all because of..." she stopped herself.

"What's wrong, Usako?" he asked her, sensing her worry.

Usagi rested her hands on his chest but avoiding his eyes, "Do you even like me still?"

"Of course I do! Tell me what's wrong."

"Everything is about Chibiusa," she said, finally getting her worry off of her chest, "You treat her like she's your real girlfriend. You're always touching her, holding her, comforting her. And she's sleeping in your bed. She got to spend a night in your apartment before I even had the chance. You like her more than me, don't you?"

Mamoru's face went red with embarrassment, "Are you kidding me? Chibiusa is a little girl! Why would you think that?" he quickly drank from his mug.

"Do you think that matters to her?" Usagi said, feeling angry, "She's still in love with you. You wouldn't understand it, you're a boy..." she stopped herself again, since she herself was beginning to turn red as well. She looked down at her feet, "I'm sorry. I'm just not myself right now. You're right, she's a little kid and I shouldn't be jealous," she turned, as if she were about to leave, "I shouldn't be thinking about things like that, especially after what happened to Mars, Mercury and Jupiter."

Very suddenly, Mamoru rushed over to her, and wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her tightly against him. She looked up at him, "Mamo-chan?"

He turned her around and gave her a proper hug, "I didn't know you were feeling this way. I'm so sorry."

She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder, "I'm so worried about everything. I'm just constantly at the breaking point. And if I lose you... I can't lose you, Mamo-chan."

He took her hand, kissing her palm, "I don't ever want to lose you either, Usako," he gave her a huge kiss, and when he broke it off he said, "I'm always going to be with you," he kissed her harder, then said, "And I'm always going to protect you."

He kissed her passionately, holding her tightly as he leaned her backward, and eventually resting her down on the floor. He looked into her eyes before he laid his body on top of hers and thrust his tongue against hers. Usagi pulled him closer and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Time to get cozy in bed!" Minako called out as she set some pillows by her feet, "Luna, Artemis, get in here and get some sleep."

The two cats hopped up on Minako's bed as she laid down against her pillows, "Get a good rest, you two. On Earth cats sleep all day, so you need the best sleep you can get. Good night," she turned off her light and fell asleep quickly.

Artemis sighed, "Honestly, she never lets me sleep on the bed. She's only being nice cause you're here, Luna. But what do you think about our time-traveling friend? How did she get here, exactly? Luna?"

But Luna couldn't hear him. She, too, had fallen fast asleep, and was dreaming a memory from long ago.

_Luna was walking down one of the halls in the Moon Castle that she had never been down before. It was darker than usual, and curiosity got the best of her. _

_ "Luna?" she heard Queen Serenity call out. She turned around to see the monarch dashing toward her, "Luna, this place is forbidden, you can't go down here."_

_ "What is down here, Queen?" Luna asked, feeling that she had a right to know._

_ "Come," Queen Serenity picked up Luna and carried her to the end. There was a massive wooden double door there, and a thick fog was permeating the hall._

_ "What is this?" Luna asked._

_ "This door must remain closed. There is a solitary gatekeeper behind it, protecting the sacred land beyond. You mustn't ever enter. Luna," she looked at the cat seriously, "Do not forget this, whatever you do. Swear to me that you won't forget."_

Luna woke up suddenly, to see that Artemis was Minako were still asleep. She wondered why she remembered that instance now. What could possibly be behind that door?

Usagi woke up on Mamoru's couch, entangled in his arms. For a split second she didn't know where she was, then smiled when she remembered. She looked over her shoulder, as Mamoru was pressing his head against her shoulder blades.

"Mamo-chan, wake up," she whispered.

He moved slightly, and asked, "Serenity?"

"Not quite," she giggled, "Wrong life."

"Oh, right," he sat up and looked down at her, his hair sticking out at all angles, "Good morning."

"I feel like I should make you breakfast or something," she smiled up at him.

"Ouch, my back," he said as he tried to stand up, "Why were we on the couch again?"

"Chibiusa," Usagi said.

He gasped, and went right to his bedroom to check on her. Usagi followed, and the two of them found her staring out of his large bedroom windows, watching the sun rise over Tokyo.

She turned to them and said, "I've been thinking about it all morning. I'm not going to run anymore. I'm going back home, to the future. And I'm taking you all with me."

Just like the day before, Usagi had a hard time concentrating in class. But this time, it was for a different reason. The aspect of time traveling swirled through her mind. What would it be like? How would they do it? Was the enemy truly attacking them from the future? And most importantly, were her friends really there?

Usagi flipped through her history book, looking back at what the world was like a thousand years ago. She wondered if Chibiusa thought that this current time was barbaric and ancient compared to her own time. Chibiusa must think so. It's no wonder she always seemed so resentful and irritated... except toward Mamoru.

She sighed, recalling the events of last night. It had been divine. Usagi and Mamoru made out on his floor, against a wall, and finally on this couch. They eventually passed out around midnight, too exhausted to really do anything more with their bodies. Which was slightly a relief, since Usagi wasn't quite sure about how she really felt about going any further than that yet. Besides, she grinned as she remembered, Serenity and Endymion had gone further plenty of times, and those memories were enough to satisfy her.

A new thought crossed her mind. If she and Mamoru got married, and had children, then her future generations would also be in the future. What if she ran into her great-great-grandchildren during the journey?

She was pondering this during her walk home, and jumped when she noticed Chibiusa had caught up to her, and was walking alongside her.

"Since when did you take this path back home?"

Chibiusa just shrugged, and finally said in a quiet voice, "Are you scared about this at all?"

She wasn't taunting; Chibiusa was being sincere. Usagi realized that this was the first time that the two of them really had a conversation.

"Well, yeah, a little," Usagi said, "Fighting an enemy is always scary. And it will be really different now, since I will be fighting in the future. What's it like, anyway?" Usagi looked down at the pink-haired girl, "Tell me about the future."

Chibiusa didn't answer the question. She just walked in silence, and very suddenly spoke up, "Just don't get weirded out, okay?"

"What is there to get weirded out about?" Usagi asked worriedly.

"Just don't... if you meet certain people, and... I can't describe it," Chibiusa sighed, "I wish I was brave enough to just tell you certain things, but I can't."

"Hey, I think you're brave," Usagi attempted to sound like Mamoru, "Besides, you have Sailor Moon on your side, right? So there's really nothing to worry about."

"Really?" Chibiusa sounded unconvinced.

"Yeah, of course," Usagi's bravado wavered a little.

"Okay," Chibiusa suddenly changed course, running off, "I'll be at Momo-chan's. Make sure you and everyone else are at the park tonight!"

"Bye," Usagi waved as Chibiusa skipped away. At least she looked a little bit cheerful. Usagi now had a new worry: what was in the future that Chibiusa was hesitant to tell Usagi about?

As instructed, Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen, Sailor Venus, Luna and Artemis gathered at Ichinohashi park in the dead of night. Chibiusa was waiting for them, clutching her key in her hand. Once they were all ready, she held her key up toward the stars.

"What is that key anyway?" Sailor Moon asked.

"This is the key to time and space," Chibiusa said as if it were no big deal.

"It is?" Usagi said nervously, realizing that the tiny key she had been carrying all this time was a time traveling device, "You can really use that thing?"

Chibiusa looked nervous, "I'm not supposed to. There are laws. And it's really complicated. If you're not careful, you might not make it there. Once we start, just don't let go of my hand, okay Usagi?"

She nodded, finally feeling scared.

Chibiusa squeezed her eyes tight as she began, "Guardian of time! Rip the sky in half and open the path to the Time-Space Door for me! I call upon the god of time, the father of the guardian, Chronos! Reveal the path of light!"

They were immediately surrounded by a blinding light, accompanied by a fierce wind. Chibiusa reached out for Usagi's hand, but the wind separated them, blowing Chibiusa in a different direction.

"No!" Usagi screamed, her voice lost in the strong gales, "Chibiusa! Chibiusa!"

They felt their bodies being pushed along, and soon the light dimmed. Now they were in a much darker universe, surrounded by fog and overhead stars. The wind still whistled around them. Sailor Moon and Venus held their cats, and Tuxedo Kamen grabbed Sailor Moon's shoulder in a tight grip.

"Now what?" Usagi asked, "Does anyone see Chibiusa?"

"There's nothing," Mamoru said, "Where are we?"

"We must be lost in the time-space continuum," Luna said, "We are in time itself. If we aren't careful, we could be trapped here forever."

"Look!" Sailor Venus pointed at something in the distance, "It looks a little darker over there. Should we go there?"

"I suppose," Sailor Moon shrugged, "It's the only thing I see that's different."

After a few stops, Mamoru stopped in his tracks. That voice was back again, and it was urgent, "_Don't go that way! Stay right where you are!"_

"What's wrong?" Minako asked.

"No, we can't go that way. We are staying here."

"Why?" Usagi asked, "Mamo-chan..." but before she could say anything else, the Silver Crystal began to glow at her chest. It flickered for a few moments, and when it stopped, the mist thinned out and a large wooden double door materialized in front of them.

"I guess we are supposed to go that way," Usagi shrugged, and as they all made their way to the doors, a strong feminine voice called out, "Stop! You must not proceed any further toward the gates of time!"

They turned around and were confronted with another Sailor soldier. She was taller than all of them, with dark brown skin and long, olive green hair. Her boots, skirt, bow and collar were black, and she was carrying a long staff shaped like a key, resembling Chibiusa's except for a large, garnet orb at the top. Around her waist, where Sailor Venus kept her whip, was a chain with keys dangling off of it.

"Who are you?" Sailor Moon asked quietly.

"I am the guardian of time and space, and queen of the Underworld, Sailor Pluto."

Her eyes were the same color as the garnet on her large key, and they were unblinking as she stated, "You have broken the law, and for that, you will die. Dead Scream!"

She pointed the garnet at Sailor Moon. Usagi felt a painful vortex wrap around her, and she screamed with all her might. The attack quickly faded, and Sailor Pluto finally looked at them, "So. You are sailor soldiers as well. Therefore, I cannot successfully attack you."

"Sailor Pluto!" Sailor Venus called out to her, "If you're a sailor soldier like us, then you are on our side."

"No," Pluto slowly shook her head, "I have a different duty than you, which I must obey. Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, Tuxedo Kamen, I cannot allow you to break the law. You are not above it, nobody is. If I cannot attack you with my powers, then I must kill you," she raised her staff, preparing to use it as a sword.

"Wait!" came a small voice as Sailor Pluto was about to strike Sailor Moon. She looked over her shoulder, and Chibiusa's form appeared in the thin fog, becoming clearer as she came closer. Chibiusa rushed at Pluto with all of her might, and jumped into her arms. Sailor Pluto returned the embrace.

"Small Lady!" Pluto gasped, "Where have you been?"

"Please don't kill them!" Chibiusa was near tears, "This is all my fault. I broke my promise. I'm so sorry, Pluto. I had to bring them with me."

Pluto kissed the top of Chibiusa's head, "Tell me everything. What are you doing?"

Chibiusa nervously held Luna-P as she explained, "I figured that the Silver Crystal that was held by Sailor Moon could be more powerful than ours. So I went to the past to find it."

Pluto's face was stern, "The crystal's power is eternal and everlasting. No matter what time it exists, it still has the same power. You should have known that, Small Lady. And you know better than to steal one of my keys and travel to the past without my permission!"

Chibiusa buried her face in her hands, embarrassed. Pluto smiled a little, and knelt down to give her another hug, "But you are safe, so everything is alright. I was so scared, Small Lady! Don't ever make me that worried again. Forgive me for being so rude to you and your friends, Princess."

"Princess!" Usagi exclaimed, "Chibiusa, you're not a princess!"

Chibiusa indignantly put her hands on her hips, and said in a bossy way, "Actually, I am. I kept it a secret. But now that you know, you should be more polite to me!"

"Oh, so what?" Usagi was feeling furious at her again, "I'm a princess too, you know! And princesses have manners! Didn't your royal parents teach you about that?"

"Look who's talking!" Chibiusa rebutted, "You are the least polite person I've ever met!"

Usagi was about to reply, but she heard Pluto quietly chuckling, "Nothing changes, does it? I will allow you all to enter the door," Pluto waved with her hand, and the massive wooden doors opened.

Chibiusa dropped her animosity, taking Usagi's hand, "Come on, this is it."

"Wait," Usagi turned back to Pluto before they went through the gate, "What about you, Pluto?"

Pluto's stern expression returned, "I cannot leave my post, ever. Visitors, please protect Small Lady."

Everyone turned their back to Pluto, facing the opening to the thirtieth century, and stepped through.

Sapphire gasped, looking up from his dinner, "A time warp?"

"What was that?" Prince Diamond asked, picking at his food.

"Someone opened a time warp," Sapphire clutched his pounding heart, "And they didn't use the black crystal. They took another path."

There was a silence around the table. Rubeus spoke up, "Must have been the Rabbit."

"One person couldn't have made that much of a ripple in time-space," Sapphire shook his head, "There was more than one person with her."

"They're going to that planet," Prince Diamond said casually, taking a sip of wine, "Going to see it's ruler, I suppose. Wiseman is joining us."

The cloaked figure appeared, "This is the time, Prince Diamond. Now you must destroy the Silver Crystal, the successor to the throne, and that magnificent castle!"

"The castle?" Prince Diamond finally tore himself away from dinner, "Are you sure? Can it even be destroyed?"

"Prince!" Emerald stood from the table, "Let me take care of this. This is our best opportunity to strike, and I won't mess it up. And then I will deliver that beautiful ruler right to you. That's what you desire, isn't it?"

Diamond glared at her, frowning, and Emerald blushed a little.

Rubeus leaned back in his chair, "And just what makes you think you'll be more successful than me, Emerald?"

"You're not the only one with your own personal goons, Rube," she grinned again. Waving her gloved hand, she called out, "Chiral! Achiral!"

Two twin men appeared from the shadows. They were identical with the same white outfits and hair, along with matching black moons and black crystal earrings. Only their skin was different; one was pale and the other was dark. They bowed to Emerald and Prince Diamond, speaking in unison, "We are the Boule Brothers, and we will carry out your orders, Prince Diamond. We will launch Operation: Remake. We will use the maximum power of our black crystals to create a destructive chemical reaction, and destroy their beautiful leader."

There was silence.

Usagi opened her eyes to find herself in a sprawling city. The buildings were tall, glass structures, and the streets were shining. It was night, and overhead, the moon was hanging low. Clearly in the past hundred years, the moon had come closer to the planet, so it was massive in the sky.

However, everything was silent.

"Where is everyone?" Sailor Venus asked, breaking the silence, "Let's look around."

Chibiusa clung tightly to Mamoru's hand as they walked around the city. The deeper they ventured, the more apparent it became that something terrible happened. The buildings here were smashed and ripped apart. They stepped carefully over rubble, and maneuvered around collapsed buildings that had fallen in their path. A mist was gathering, giving the city and even more eerie feel.

"Where are the people?" Usagi quietly asked.

"There!" Minako pointed at some rubble. There was a foot sticking out from underneath it. Sailor Venus moved it aside to rescue the person, and just gasped and backed away. The body was decomposing.

Tuxedo Kamen climbed a large pile of rubble to see where they were going. Ahead of them, the buildings looked even more wrecked, and beyond that was a dark monolith embedded in a crater. It appeared as if it had crashed into Earth. If there were buildings in that place, they were long gone now.

"Guys, look at this!" Tuxedo Kamen called out. Chibiusa buried her face against him, holding him tightly.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, holding her close, "Are you alright? Do you feel okay?"

The voice appeared in his head again, this time it was much louder, "_Do not go near that place_."

Mamoru stood up straight, "Never mind, let's take another path." He and Chibiusa led the way down another street. Usagi and Minako hung back a little to look at the black stone before catching up to them.

"What in the world happened here?" Minako asked out loud, "What is that big black rock? Chibiusa, do you know?"

She answered quietly, "There was a huge explosion, bigger than anything. There was a flash of light, and all the buildings got smashed. Then this mist appeared. It affected everybody but me, and I don't know why. I don't know why I lived and everyone else... they died. Look," she pointed at another corpse lying in the road, "See, it's happening now."

Before their eyes, the dead body slowly vanished into thin air.

"The mist made all the dead people disappear. It happens slowly."

"Did Black Moon do this?" Usagi asked her.

"I don't know, I..." she stopped and looked around, recognizing her surroundings, "We're near my home. You should come see my Mommy. She's in the palace. Come on! The Crystal Palace is this way!" she ran ahead.

They followed her, and through the mist they could see huge towers rising up over them. Mamoru gasped, as he recognized this place from one of his visions. It was a castle shaped like a massive quartz crystals.

Chibiusa very suddenly stopped in her tracks, and looked around as if she heard something. "Diana?" she called out, and after a moment where nothing happened, she continued toward the castle.

The crystal walls glittered as they made their way through the entrance. Usagi was surprised to find themselves in a circular, empty room. She looked around and noticed that the entrance behind them had vanished.

"What's going on?" Sailor Venus asked.

"This isn't right," Chibiusa's voice was on the verge of panic, "This isn't the palace at all!"

Sailor Venus ran her hands over a wall, which felt as cold as steel, "Is this a trap?"

"Welcome!" called out two simultaneous male voices, "Do you like our fake palace?"

"Who are you?" Sailor Moon demanded.

Their enemy appeared in front of them. They were twins, identical in every way except for the color of their skin, "We are the Black Moon Boule Brothers, Chiral and Achiral. It's an honor to make the acquaintance of the legendary warrior, Sailor Moon. And you too, Rabbit."

"Black Moon," Sailor Venus snarled, "You know you can't defeat us. We already outnumber you."

"Do you?" said the dark skinned Achiral, who very suddenly multiplied. Many Achirals surrounded them, forcing them to stand back to back. The four of them and the cats felt a sharp electric current around them, making the air sizzle.

"I would like to see you crack through my electric wall," Achiral taunted.

Sailor Moon held out her Moon Rod, "You aren't going to win! Moon Princess Halation!"

Nothing happened. Sailor Moon stared at the Moon Rod in disbelief. Her attacks had never failed her before.

The current around them began to solidify, trapping them in an electric fence of powerful crystal. Chibiusa looked up at Sailor Moon with tears in her eyes, silently begging her to do something. Usagi had never felt so helpless.

The light skinned brother, Chiral, was laughing, "Our magnetic field is more powerful than your magic."

"Good work boys," came a flirty, feminine voice from above. They looked up to see a woman in a black dress and green hair hovering near them. She, too, had a black moon on her forehead and black crystal earrings, "You people from the past can't possibly appreciate the craftsmanship behind this beautiful replica. It's amazing what the Black Crystal is capable of. Did you know that we demolished the old castle to make this trap for you?"

"That's impossible!" Chibiusa called out, "You're lying. My Mommy is in the palace, so you can't destroy it. And you won't defeat us!"

Emerald sighed, "You little brat, always the same. Chiral, Achiral, make the fence higher, won't you?"

They nodded, and the electric crystal grew around them. The static became painful. Mamoru wrapped his cape around everyone, trying to protect them and thinking as quickly as he could for a way to defeat the enemy.

The voice returned, "_This isn't real crystal. You can break this_."

Mamoru gave the electric wall a strong kick, and it shattered under his foot.

"_Get down!_"

Mamoru pushed his team to the ground, and the broken crystal erupted with a burst of bright sparks.

"No!" the brothers stared in horror at their broken creation.

Sailor Venus quickly got to feet, and pulled out her chain, "Venus Love Me Chain!"

Tuxedo Kamen also attacked, "Tuxedo Bomber!"

With the combination of the chain and Tuxedo Kamen's attack, Chiral and Achiral short-circuited and shattered. Emerald quickly teleported away, and the fake castle vanished.

In front of them was the true castle. It was twice as massive as the fake one, and much taller. The crystal towers rose higher in the sky than any building in the Tokyo of the past.

"Wow," Sailor Venus gasped, "How do you get inside?"

"Follow me," Chibiusa walked calmly toward one of the walls and she disappeared. They mimicked her, and the crystal walls enveloped them. Now they were in an entry room, facing a gigantic and ornate door. Chibiusa pulled it open, and everyone gasped as they entered the real castle.

It was hard to see the ceiling, as it rose high above their heads. The circular room was decorated with beautiful columns and arches, with hallways branching off underneath them. Their footsteps echoed against the marble floor, carrying the sound up to the tall ceiling.

"What's that?" Usagi asked, her voice creating a massive echo. She walked to the room directly across from the entry way. It was a tiny chamber with something that looked like a tomb inside. Instead of a lid, a huge quartz crystal adorned the top.

Usagi cautiously stepped closer. She wasn't sure why her heart was beating so loudly, but it became apparent when she made out the figure that was lying peacefully inside.

It was a grown woman in about her mid-twenties, with her silver hair in dumplings and pig-tails. She was dressed in an exact copy of Princess Serenity's gown, and she had a bright crescent moon on her forehead.

Usagi felt as if she were staring into some sort of bizarre mirror, "Ch-ch-Chibiusa, who... in that crystal, who... who is that?"

"Neo Queen Serenity," Chibiusa answered matter-of-factually.

A tiny bell rang behind them, and they turned to see a tiny gray kitten running toward them, meowing happily. Chibiusa broke into a huge smile and hugged the cat, "Diana! You're alive!"

The cat wriggled out of her hands and dashed toward a small doorway. A man was kneeling there, and the kitten stopped in front of him.

It was a ghostly figure, transparent, but solid enough that he was easy to see. He was dressed in a tuxedo of black and purple- the hues of twilight. His long cloak matched his outfit, and dark blue eyes surveyed them through an ornate white mask.

Usagi looked from Mamoru to this man, amazed at the similarities between them.


	21. Act 6: Crystal Tokyo

Act 6: Crystal Tokyo

"Daddy!" Chibiusa tried to grin, but seemed too afraid to do so. She walked up to the man and held out her arms. She gasped as she nearly walked through him, "Daddy, what happened to you?"

"I'm glad you're safe, Small Lady," he said to her in a voice very similar to Mamoru's, "That was a very dangerous thing you did, traveling to the past. But your judgment was fit for a princess."

Chibiusa's eyes were watering. She was still staring at him, confused at the state of his body.

The man finally smiled at Sailor Moon and her team, and held out an arm, "Welcome to Crystal Tokyo, and our palace. I'm sorry about the state of things. There was a terrible battle. I wouldn't have chosen for you to see the future like this. I would have greeted you the moment you arrived, but..." he looked down at himself, "There are some complications with this body, as you can see. Come," he gestured for them to follow him, and they did. They silently walked through an ornate hall, decorated with flickering candles and mirrors. Usagi gasped as she made an observation.

"You don't have a reflection," she stated as she looked into the mirrors, "Or a shadow on the floor. Just what are you?"

"This form isn't as solid as I thought it would be," the man sighed, "My real body is in another room. This is my spirit, crafted in the same way of Queen Serenity in the Silver Millennium," he smiled at them, "My name is King Endymion."

Mamoru gasped, and took a step back. It had been strange enough have a ghost of his clone talk to them, but it was more bizarre to have the same name as him.

"Don't be surprised, Mamoru," the king nodded at him, "You know who I am."

"You're me," Mamoru stated quietly.

"Yes. I am your future self."

Usagi wrapped her arms around herself, feeling uncomfortable. She hadn't expected this at all. She didn't know how to feel about seeing Mamoru's body in the future. This was what Tuxedo Kamen would look like one day.

"Small Lady," King Endymion looked down at Chibiusa, "You did say your proper introductions to them, correct?"

Chibiusa sighed and rolled her eyes before gingerly holding the hem of her skirt and curtsying, "Ladies and gentleman, I am glad you are present in good health. I am Her Royal Highness Princess Small Lady Serenity Usagi, daughter of Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion of Crystal Tokyo and Earth, first princess of the Silver Millennium. It is a pleasure to meet you all."

Sailor Moon and her team just stared at her.

"Very nice," King Endymion smiled, "Just as we've practiced. A polite introduction is the first step to becoming a queen-like lady."

The kitten at his feet finally spoke up, "I'm glad to see you're safe too, Small Lady."

"You too, Diana!" Chibiusa picked up her cat.

"The king and I have been doing our best to look out for you," Diana said, giving her master a lick on her cheek.

"So," Usagi said in a quivering voice, "If you're Mamo-chan in the future, and Chibiusa is your daughter, is that..." she pointed to the hall behind her, "Is that... me? And that means that Chibiusa is..."

"Correct," King Endymion said, "Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen, this is your daughter."

The two of them stared at Chibiusa. She stared back, looking a little awkward. Usagi looked at Mamoru for some guidance, of what to do or say or think, but he was blushing just as brightly as Usagi was.

"This is so weird," Minako broke the tension, "You're Mamoru, and that's Usagi, and... what is going on?"

Curiosity got the better of Usagi again, and she turned around to rush toward her future self. She pressed her hands and face against the crystal tomb, and stared at her own body. She was looking at her own destiny. She was going to become the Queen of Earth, and reign for hundreds of years. She was going to rule in her very own crystal city. She was going to have a daughter with Mamoru, the King. And then something horrible would happen to change all that. One day she herself would end up in this casket. Her palms were sweating, but she was trembling too much to remove her gloves. All she could do was watch her older self lie there.

"What happened here?" Usagi jumped at Luna's voice, and turned around to see that everyone had followed her. Luna was talking to King Endymion, "Is that Silver Crystal surrounding the queen? What happened to her? Is she alive?"

"I don't know," King Endymion looked down at the ground, "I can't tell if she's alive or dead."

Diana the kitten spoke up, "The Queen was rushing out of the palace in a big hurry. It was right when the attack happened. It was a massive explosion. Everything was destroyed. Since then, the city has been still and quiet."

"I rushed to the Queen's side," King Endymion stated, "And so did her four soldiers. They protected her with their powers. In the blink of an eye they trapped her in an enclosure of silver crystal. But the soldiers and I took a direct hit from the explosion. Our bodies were badly damaged. We were all defeated. With the last of our strength, we laid the queen to rest in her tomb and sealed off the castle, then we collapsed into an unconscious state. We thought the people inside the palace would remain safe, but this poisonous mist appeared, and people began dying. The only two who weren't affected by it were my daughter and her guardian cat."

Chibiusa clenched Diana and shut her eyes, trying to block out some bad memories.

He continued, "She must have remembered her favorite bedtime stories about Sailor Moon, her mother. Every night I would tell Small Lady about the times when the Queen was a legendary soldier. I'm sure that's how she decided to go to the past. Diana stayed behind, however. She didn't want to leave Luna and Artemis behind."

"What's that?" Luna asked worriedly.

Diana jumped out of Chibiusa's arms and bowed her head at the cats, "Luna, Artemis, how do you do? I am your daughter, Diana."

"WHAT?" Luna screeched. While Artemis just stared at his future daughter in shock, Luna continued ,"But... with Artemis? No. Really? We... we will... we will?"

"Meow," Diana grinned.

"Something's not right," Mamoru spoke up, "King, why do we still look alike? If you are my self in a thousand years, why haven't you aged?"

"The Silver Crystal," Endymion said simply, "The people of the Silver Millennium live for a thousand years, usually longer. We stop growing once we reach adulthood. Neo Queen Serenity was twenty-two when she was crowned and gave birth to the princess. Her body, or mine, hasn't changed since. Everyone living here in Crystal Tokyo is now part of the Silver Millennium, but nearly everyone on Earth has a very long lifespan. It was a very peaceful time. Until... our capital became a ghost town. It can be resurrected by the Silver Crystal easily, but only Neo Queen Serenity can use it. She hasn't woken up since that day. There is nothing we can do."

"The Black Moon did this, didn't they?" Sailor Venus asked, "Who are they? Are they still here? Did they put that black stone in the city?"

"There is something I should show you, follow me," said the King.

They walked through hall after hall, crossing through many ornate rooms until they entered a huge command center. It was a larger, more state of the art version of the one in the arcade. The biggest difference were the computer screens. They were the walls of the control center, and they currently displayed the starry sky, making them feel like they were in a planetarium. King Endymion's spirit pushed a button, and the stars zoomed away. They were sailing through space, passing Jupiter and Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, until it arrived at a very dark, glowing planet about the size of the Moon.

"What's that?" Venus asked.

"That is the true final planet in our solar system. It is called Nemesis."

"Nemesis," Usagi whispered, repeating the name.

"Nobody was sure it really existed for a long while. Scientists were struggling to find it, since it's orbit was so irregular. It would literally disappear from the sight of our telescopes and satellites. It was nicknamed the Planet of Darkness, because it was impossible to see. But it was finally discovered about eight hundred years ago, when it was found to emit a very dark energy source that could be tracked. The worst criminals were sent there, and after sending one particularly horrible man there, the Queen ordered that nobody should bother that planet again. Then, just a few years ago, the planet kept popping up on our radar screens, much more frequently than it had in the past. The orbit was becoming regular. After some investigation, we found it had been taken over by the Black Moon."

"Who are they?" Usagi asked.

"Total scumbags," Diana answered, "They're like misfits. They're the children of our nobles who decided to rebel against us. They rejected their own society and made their own on Nemesis. Then they began launching terrorist attacks on Earth."

"They want the Silver Crystal," said King Endymion, "So they can defeat us and take over this planet."

"I get it," Luna spoke up, "That black stone is the same substance as that earring."

"Yes, Black crystal," King Endymion nodded, "How do you know if it? What earring are you talking about?"

"King," said Luna, "Black Moon came to the past. They followed Chibiusa. They're trying to invade our world with their own black crystals, which they wear as earrings. They are tiny, but they do a considerable amount of damage. It's a powerful stone."

"What are they thinking?" King Endymion seemed shocked, "If they attack the past... they will alter time and space. If they have the power over the time warp then they are far more dangerous than I thought."

Usagi suddenly felt very woozy, and stumbled a little.

"Are you alright?" Venus asked her.

"I'm okay, just..." she put a hand on her head, "The room is spinning a little."

"Your legs!" Venus suddenly shrieked. Usagi looked down to see that her boots and thighs were just as transparent as the king's, if not more so. She removed her hand and gasped when she could look right through it.

"What's happening?" Usagi cried.

"You need to go back to your time, quickly!" the king said urgently, "A person can't exist in two places at once. You're creating a distortion in time and space. I shouldn't have kept you here so long."

"But we have to be here!" Usagi said, "We are looking for Mars, Mercury and Jupiter. Black Moon captured them."

"If that's the case, then they're probably on Nemesis. I'm sure we can combine efforts to rescue them. You will come back, won't you?"

"Of course," said Venus, "We will return soon, King."

"Small Lady," the king addressed his daughter, "I wish I could go with you and protect you. You will have to stay brave and strong."

"King," Mamoru stepped up, placing a hand on Chibiusa's shoulder, "I would die before I let any harm come to Small Lady."

Usagi could have sworn her ears began to ring at that statement. He was willing to die for her. Usagi didn't know what to do if Mamoru was killed while defending Chibiusa. She understood being protective of his future daughter, but dying for her...

King Endymion finally appeared a little awkward in front of his past self. He grinned a little, "I must admit... this is weird."

"Tell me about it," Mamoru replied with the exact same tone of voice.

"Do you know those moments where you wish you could talk to your past self, and you would tell them a million things?" the King blushed, "I can't think of anything to say."

"I can relate," Mamoru said, "Since... you are me."

"Come," King Endymion was still grinning as he gestured them out of the control room, "There's a door to time here in the castle."

Sailor Venus walked at his side, "How much do you know about Sailor Pluto? I didn't even know she existed. Is she a sailor soldier like us?"

"Pluto's mission is completely different than yours. You are the leader of the Four Guardian Soldiers, Sailor Venus, and your mission is to protect Princess Serenity," he nodded at Sailor Moon, "Just as she is the daughter of Selene, goddess of the moon, Pluto is the daughter of Chronos, the god of time. Her mission is to protect the underworld and guard the gates of time. Sailor Pluto is the one who enforces time travel."

They had reached the end of a long hallway, where a door identical to the one they had traveled through sat. Endymion opened it casually, and it revealed the world of time. Pluto was standing there, and she gasped when she saw the King, "Oh, Endymion, I mean, King Endymion. If I knew you were coming..."

"Pluto," he interrupted her, "You must understand that I would never ask you this unless it's an emergency. I need a key."

"Of course," she said seriously. She removed a key from her belt and gave it to Endymion. He passed it to Sailor Moon, and told her, "Use this key to make a time warp and return to Sailor Pluto. But do not use it lightly. Sailor Pluto is older than all of us, and she will not hesitate to use her judgment against foolish time travelers. She is as wise as she is beautiful."

Pluto looked a little embarrassed, tucking her long hair behind her ear as she said quietly, "Thank you, King."

Venus smiled at their new ally, "Thanks for helping us, Sailor Pluto," and she shook hands with the guardian of time.

King Endymion turned to walk through the door, and Sailor Pluto knelt as he exited. He called over his shoulder, "Please be careful, all of you."

The key in Usagi's hands began to glow, and a second later they were all back in the park. Unfortunately, they arrived in a dog pile, with Sailor Venus laying on top of all of them.

"Get off, V-chan!" Usagi said as she shoved her friend off her back, "When did you get so heavy?"

"Sorry," Minako blushed, "It's not like it was on purpose"

Mamoru took out his pocket watch, "It seems like no time went by while we were gone. That's useful. We should get home and get some sleep. How are you, Chibiusa?" he knelt down to the little girl.

Usagi's could feel her heart pounding again. Her jealousy started to rise up in her once more, and before she could suggest that she would take Chibiusa home, Mamoru looked at her and said, "I'll take her to my place, Usako. Don't worry."

"But..." Usagi didn't like that idea one bit, "Why can't she stay with me? She has her own room at my house."

Mamoru held Chibiusa tightly, "I made a vow to protect her. I'm going to keep her safe, no matter what."

Usagi felt her hands ball up into fists, "Right. You said you would die for her. Funny, I thought that's how you felt about me, and me alone."

"Usako," he began to reply, but she interrupted him, "She's more important to you than this entire mission. More than rescuing our friends, more than the future... more than me, I'm sure. You care about Chibiusa more than me, don't you? Say it!"

"Usako, you don't get it," he was raising his voice, "This is our daughter."

"Sure she is," Usagi glared at Chibiusa, who just looked back at her resentfully, "I am not a mother, Mamo-chan. I did not give birth to her. I am not living that life right now, I'm living mine. And right now, my life is pretty messed up. My friends have been kidnapped, and I have to go rescue them. I don't want to live that future life right now, I want to live _mine_. And I'm supposed to live it with you. Not you and her. You are both in your own little happy world and I'm not included in it."

"Usako, please understand!"

"No! You want to protect her more than me. Fine! Do it! Who says I need you anyway?" and with that, she rushed off toward her house. She flung herself on her bed, still in her school uniform, and began to cry into her pillow.

Now the guilt was creeping over her. Of course he would want to protect her, especially now that they knew she was their daughter. But why did it have to be Mamoru that protected her, and not Mamoru and Usagi? Why did this girl have to tear apart their team?

The rest of them didn't get a lot of comfortable sleep that night either. Mamoru tucked Chibiusa into his bed without a word, not even saying good night. She pulled the covers to her chin, remembering when her father would tuck her in, and felt her heart aching for her old life.

Minako brought both cats to her house, and the three of them stared up at the sky.

"Nemesis is somewhere up there," Minako said, "With our friends on it."

"We will get them back," Artemis said assuredly.

"Of course we will," Minako, "Now who is ready for bed? Oh wait, should I leave you two alone?"

Luna and Artemis stared at each other awkwardly.

Minako smirked at the cats, "Have you two been in love this whole time, and never said anything? You guys are sneaky."

"Excuse me!" Luna said, "Artemis and I have never... we..." she looked at Artemis, "Right?"

"You really haven't thought about it until now?" Artemis asked her.

"Well... sometimes... but not seriously."

"We are the only two talking cats from the Silver Millennium, who both live on Earth. You honestly didn't think something would happen between us?"

"Artemis, please. This is embarrassing."

"Oh my darling Luna," Artemis sighed, "Seems that Usagi and Mamoru aren't the only couple having a fight."

"We aren't a couple," Luna said quickly.

"Yet," Artemis answered.

"Keep it up, and you'll sleep on the other side of the bed," Luna replied.

Minako grinned, "It's like you guys have been married for years."

Artemis laughed over Luna's exasperated cried of, "No, it's nothing like that!"

Mamoru woke up with the sun in his face. He didn't mean to fall asleep; he wanted to stay awake to make sure Chibiusa was okay, since he heard her crying in her sleep. He opened his bedroom door and was shocked to find his bed made and empty. Chibiusa was gone.

His first instinct was to go to Usagi's, but he hesitated. After the fight last night, he wasn't sure if Usagi wanted him around. He knew the cats were at Minako's, so he awkwardly made his way to her house.

He was relieved when Minako answered the door instead of Mrs. Aino, "Hey, what's up?"

"Chibiusa is gone."

"Again?" Minako gasped, "Is she at Usagi-chan's?"

"I don't know."

She rolled her eyes, "Let's go, I'll get the cats."

Usagi was a little thrilled when Mamoru appeared at her doorstep, but her heart sank when he asked if she had seen Chibiusa. She couldn't look at him as she answered, "She didn't come back here."

"Then where did she go?" Minako asked, sounding a little frantic.

Mamoru frowned, "She was talking in her sleep a little last night. She was calling out for her Dad. You don't think she went back to Crystal Tokyo, do you?"

"Small Lady?" Sailor Pluto asked as she peered through the mist of time. Indeed, Chibiusa and Luna-P were making their way toward her.

"What's going on, Small Lady? Where are Sailor Moon and Venus? You didn't come here alone, did you? It's so dangerous."

"It's okay," Chibiusa shrugged, "I'm used to being by myself. But... can I hang out with you for a bit? We're still friends, aren't we?"

Sailor Pluto smiled, "Of course we are. You know I love you like you were my own, Small Lady."

"Thanks," Chibiusa grinned a little, "I'm gonna see Diana. Do you think that would be okay?"

"As long as you know you're safe," Pluto nodded, "I know how responsible you are. Go ahead."

Chibiusa went through the door, thinking that she wasn't very responsible at all. She knew she was a bit immature, and bratty, and usually got her way. She just wished that more people understood her.

She dashed into the castle, hoping that there weren't any Black Moon people around to see her. She stood in the middle of the entry hall and called out, "Daddy?"

The spirit of King Endymion didn't appear. Instead, she wandered through the castle. She passed the room where the Four Guardian Soldiers were laid to rest. Across the hall, her father's body lay, dead but not dead. In the room designed especially for the cats, Luna and Artemis were curled up in their forever sleep. Diana was taking a cat nap beside them, purring as she dreamed. Chibiusa gently stroked her cat's fur, "I'm glad I'm not the only one who misses her parents."

Finally she went to see her mother. She went hesitantly, because that was how one approached Neo Queen Serenity. But she was still in her coma, encased in silver crystal.

Chibiusa put her hands on the tomb, "Mommy... Mom, please open your eyes."

Neo Queen Serenity didn't stir.

"Mommy, please. What can I do? How am I gonna wake you up? Help me, Mommy."

Chibiusa knelt before her mother, crying and praying with all her might for help to come. King Endymion watched from a distance, not wanted to interrupt his daughter and also trying not to cry.

Emerald peeked into Prince Diamond's chambers, and sure enough, he was staring at his hologram of Neo Queen Serenity. Emerald rolled her eyes, wondering what that woman had that she didn't. The answer was probably eternal youth and the Silver Crystal. But still, Emerald had always been by Diamond's side since they were children, and his fascination with Neo Queen Serenity hadn't happened until very recently. Just what sparked this sudden lust?

She was suddenly grabbed around her shoulders and yanked backwards. She tried not to scream. Rubeus whispered in her ear, "Spying on Prince Diamond, Emmy? You really are low, you know that? What is this going to accomplish?"

"Stop it, Rube," Emerald hissed, "He's going to hear you."

"Who is?" Diamond said as he stepped out of his room and shut the door.

Rubeus let Emerald go, "I was just about to say to our dear friend that she should step up her game. Her last attack failed miserably."

"Oh, look who's talking," Emerald flicked her hair, "All of your little girls are gone; Sailor Moon wiped them out without breaking a sweat."

"I asked to be alone," Prince Diamond said coolly, "Why are you interrupting my private time?"

"Prince," Emerald smiled at him, "I was going to suggest that we stop sending our fancy droids out there to do our own job. Let me personally try to catch that Rabbit. Besides, I still have a trick up my sleeve."

Prince Diamond rolled his eyes, "That pun again."

Emerald grinned widely as she took off her black gloves, revealing her true hands. They were the color of Wiseman's hands, dark and warped, and they twisted around at impossible angles, "I will personally launch Operation: Relax. I will go to the castle and get Rabbit, Sailor Moon, and the Silver Crystal all in one sweep. I will bring them straight to you."

She immediately teleported to the Crystal Palace, where Chibiusa was sitting on the steps outside, wiping her eyes. She grinned as she hovered in the air, "Well, well, well. Look at poor little Rabbit, alone and defenseless. Did you friends really allow you to come by yourself?"

Emerald's hands twisted down toward Chibiusa, about to grab her around her neck. King Endymion gasped when he watched from the top of the stairs, still in the doorway of the castle. He shut his eyes tight and communicated to Mamoru in the past, "_Quickly, come to the castle, Small Lady is in danger!_"

Chibiusa was grabbed and hoisted in the air. She tried to scream, but could only gag as her neck was being squeezed.

Emerald held her at a distance, stretching her hands, "So Rabbit. This is your moment. You're a child of the Silver Millennium. Ancient blood runs through your veins. Show me your power."

When Chibiusa did nothing but grab at Emerald's fingers, Emerald generated another hand out of her distorted arms and removed one of her earrings, "I suppose I will just have to kill you then."

"Chibiusa!" called out a voice before her, and before she could react her heard, "Venus Love Me Chain!"

A painful whip lashed against her arms, shrinking them and taking away her power. Chibiusa and the earring fell to the ground. Tuxedo Kamen ran underneath Chibiusa and grabbed her just in time.

King Endymion called from the stairs "Look out!"

When the crystal hit the ground, it detonated like the bomb. Tuxedo Kamen, Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus were knocked to the ground as the heat and pressure burst all around them. The moment she could stand, Usagi held out her Mood Rod and attacked, "Moon Princess Halation!"

Once again, nothing happened. Usagi's heart sank.

Emerald laughed, and stretched three hands toward each soldier, grabbing them by their necks.

King Endymion paced, wanting to do something but was unable to leave the castle. He channeled Mamoru's mind, "_Let's attack, we can say it together_."

Tuxedo Kamen and King Endymion both called out, "Tuxedo Bomber!"

Emerald's arms snapped off. Armless, she screamed and fled, so she could bleed to death without anyone watching.

Usagi nearly threw the Moon Rod on the ground, "What is going on? Why don't my powers work anymore? Why is it just me?"

"I have a theory," King Endymion said, "The same object can't exist in two places at the same time. With two Silver Crystals so close to each other, they probably null each other out. That could be the reason."

"But..." Usagi was trying not to cry, "If I can't use my crystal here, then how am I supposed to rescue my friends? How do I fight Black Moon?"

"Indeed," came a low, gravelly voice from nearby. Usagi turned and saw they were being watched by two people. One of them was from Black Moon, since he had the mark on his forehead and the earrings. His suit, cloak and hair were all white. Beside him was a hovering, hooded figure without a visible face, who was holding a crystal ball. It seemed to be him that was speaking, "Certainly Emerald is dying, if not dead already, and it wasn't done with any help from the Silver Crystal. It's not nearly as powerful as we thought, Prince."

"Who are you?" Sailor Moon called out.

"Do you like your future, Sailor Moon?" the man in white called out, "Do you like what I've done with the place, Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Venus? It seems that your future has quite a few unexpected surprises."

Usagi glared angrily at him, "Tell us now, what do you want from us? What is your plan? What are you doing with my friends? And this planet? Tell me now!"

Prince Diamond basked in her anger. She was beautiful. The look of hatred, loathing, and complete disgust was exquisite. It was the same look that she had given him that time, during the attack. With a calm, straight face he activated his third eye.

Usagi felt paralyzed. She couldn't move or look away from the eye on his forehead. She did her best to resist and fight, but her body wouldn't move a muscle.

A bright light shone from Diamond's third eye, and glowed like a beacon on Sailor Moon. Now her body felt even more trapped, and she felt herself hovering off the ground. She stared at Mamoru as he disappeared from his vision, calling out to her, "Sailor Moon!"


	22. Act 7: Nemesis

Act 7: Nemesis

"Usako!" Mamoru ran with all his might toward her, but she disappeared into the light. When it vanished, so did the two men from Black Moon.

The only sound was the Moon Rod clattering on the pavement.

Tuxedo Kamen and King Endymion just stared at the spot Sailor Moon was just standing at, the same expression of shock on their faces. Sailor Venus fell to her knees as she cried out, "Noooo! Sailor Moon! Oh my God, Sailor Moon!"

Chibiusa trembled. It was no wonder she didn't have any real friends, or anyone that truly understood her. She ruined everything. Now it was her fault that Sailor Moon had been kidnapped. She clutched Luna-P and forced her tears to stay in her eyes.

It was very dark. A storm was blowing around her, whipping her school skirt around her legs. White rose petals were everywhere, fluttering like snow. Usagi brushed them out of her hair.

She looked around, trying to figure out where she was. The ground under her feet wasn't exactly dirt, but it was some type of similar terrain she had never seen before. In the distance appeared to be some kind of crater, with three large quartz crystals emerging from it. It must have been a gateway to somewhere, a deep cave perhaps, and Usagi made her way toward it.

That's when she noticed the two figures. One of them was Mamoru, and the other was a very beautiful, curvaceous woman. Her hair was also floating in the breeze, which was done in almost her same style. Except the buns on her head were pointed like rabbit's ears, and her hair was pink.

"Chibiusa?" Usagi called out.

The woman turned to look at her. Her pink eyes practically twinkled as she took Mamoru's arm, and the two of them ran off into the darkness.

"Wait!" Usagi called, chasing after them, "Where are you going? Don't leave me!"

She stirred, and slowly woke up from her dream. She was in a large, soft bed in a dark room. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, feeling sluggish.

Usagi looked down at herself and saw that she had been dressed in a gorgeous gown. It was white and clung to her body, showing off her curves. The top was decorated with ornate beads, which also comprised of the sleeves around her arm, leaving her shoulders bare. She ran a hand over the beads at her chest, and very suddenly realized that the Silver Crystal wasn't in its usual spot above her heart. She frantically felt around her, and discovered her brooch resting not far from her on the bed. She held it tightly; what would she do without the Silver Crystal?

She got out of the bed, wondering just where she was and what happened to her, when she noticed something flickering in the corner of the room. It appeared to be a hologram of a person, and as she looked closer, she gasped when she saw herself. But no, it wasn't herself at all. It was Neo Queen Serenity.

"Isn't she lovely?"

Usagi turned around to find Prince Diamond smiling at her.

"Welcome to the castle of Black Moon, Sailor Moon. Or should I say, the future Neo Queen Serenity? Yes, I do like that. My name is Prince Diamond. Why don't we have a little chat? Take a seat."

He lifted his hand, and Usagi yelped as she felt her body move itself and sit in a chair.

"You awoke quicker than I thought," he said, leaning against the wall next to her, "It just goes to show how much the Silver Crystal uses its influence on you. Your body might have a harder time adapting to some things, however. Nemesis does that."

"Nemesis?" Usagi found her voice, "I'm on Nemesis? That means... my friends are here! Where are they? And why did you attack Crystal Tokyo?"

Prince Diamond grinned, since her temper made his stomach flutter, "Some say that the Silver Crystal is the most powerful object in the universe. But it's not entirely true, is it? In school I was forced to believe it. I grew up in Crystal Tokyo, in your very castle. It was droll, pathetic. It was like living in a fantasy story, where everyone lived long and healthy lives, and it was happy all the time. That's not how the world works. You can't have light without the dark. So my friends and I sought out the dark, and we discovered Wiseman. He told us to go to Nemesis and master the power of the Black Crystal. And we did," he grinned proudly, "I personally sent that attack on my hometown, Crystal Tokyo. The Black Crystal turned it into a city of death. That piece of crystal exceeded my expectations. I wanted to create a new Crystal Tokyo, but there's not much you can do when everyone who lives in it has perished. So we went to the past, to rewrite history and start anew. We call it Operation: Replay. We plan on recreating history."

Usagi shook her head in horror, "Why?"

"The Silver Crystal practically grants immortality. And nobody can live forever. It just isn't right. Everyone should live their life and die, just how nature intended us to live. So we are going to fix the world so people stay people, and not demigods who are brainwashed by the Silver Crystal's influence."

"Listen to yourself," Usagi said quietly, "You're crazy. Just because you don't like how the world is run, you go to the past and change history so you come out on top? That's insane."

"Not really, when you consider how simple it is. I'm surprised nobody else has done it before me. After all, time and space is just energy, and if you can control energy, you own time. And Nemesis grows black crystals like wildflowers; this planet is covered in it. It emits pure dark energy. Therefore, whoever owns Nemesis can warp time, and take over any planet they choose. It doesn't matter that the Silver Crystal came to power before this planet did, because Nemesis is stronger. I am going to rule that beautiful planet Earth," he glanced over at the hologram, staring at the globe hovering underneath Neo Queen Serenity.

Usagi fearfully cowered in her seat, not knowing what he was going to do next. He just continued his talk, "And to think I only saw her once in my whole life. I was born and raised in that castle, and there was only one time I ever saw Neo Queen Serenity. It was right after I blew up the city, and people were dying left and right. I was walking among the corpses near the castle. There was a little girl crying over her dead parents, and it was obnoxious. So I grabbed her and killed her with one of my crystals. And right then, the queen ran out of the castle, looking in the direction of the crying girl. She was calling out, 'Small Lady! Small Lady!' And she saw me, and I stared back at her. I didn't realize how beautiful she would be. She really was like a goddess. I would have never pictured a woman that beautiful in all my fantasies. And then she glared at me, with the most defiant and repugnant look, as if I was the worst scum of the Earth. She immediately rejected me, as if I wasn't even human. So I attacked her with my third eye, but she was instantly swallowed up in a ball of crystal. I shielded myself, and when I looked for another glimpse of her, the Guardians were taking her back inside the castle. I haven't been able to get that look out of my mind ever since. Those eyes haunted me. I needed to see her again, but this time she would be my slave and kneel before me," he stood in front of her and put his hands on his face, forcing her to look up into his eyes, "And here she is. It doesn't matter what form she is in, I must have her."

He leaned forward and kissed her hard on her lips. Usagi just sat there in shock, letting him kiss her for a moment until she realized what was happening. She slapped his cheek as hard as she could, and he stumbled to the side. Suddenly wondering why she hadn't transformed earlier, she grabbed her brooch and called out, "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"

Nothing happened. She stared down at her dress, completely surprised. Prince Diamond just chuckled and called out, "Sapphire! Crimson Rubeus! You may enter."

A door opened, and Usagi got to meet another enemy, who must have been Sapphire. He looked very similar to Prince Diamond, except his hair and uniform were black. He smirked at the brooch in her hand, "Wondering why it doesn't work here, Queen? Simple. The black crystals on this planet absorb energy. They are feasting on the magic inside that brooch. It's just a rock here."

"You have the run of this castle, Queen," Rubeus waved his arm, presenting the castle to her, "After all, this will become your eternal resting place!"

He laughed, and the three men left her alone in the room. Her hands shook as she clutched the brooch tightly. It was no wonder Neo Queen Serenity had glared at him like that. There was nothing human about either of them.

_Who is that? Someone is here._

_ Why would someone disturb my sleep?_

_ I sense anger... spite..._

_ The people I love are in danger._

_ Where is my husband? Endymion..._

King Endymion gasped, and looked over his shoulder.

"Are you alright, King?" Sailor Venus asked him.

"Yes..." he said uncertainly, "I just thought I heard... never mind. It's nothing. Have you found Nemesis?"

"No," Luna answered, "It's disappeared again."

Tuxedo Kamen shook his head, "How does a planet just disappear? It has to follow its orbit."

"The radar can't sense it," Luna replied, "But we can pick up the energy that it's giving out and taking in. We can't see it because it's sucking in all the gas and light around it. It's acting like a black hole."

"A black hole," King Endymion repeated seriously, "It hasn't been this active in hundreds of years. And now that it has Sailor Moon, it's doing everything it can to conceal itself. What a dangerous planet."

"But we have to go there!" Tuxedo Kamen told his older self, "All the other soldiers are trapped on that planet. We don't have a choice. We have to save them somehow."

"Don't be hasty," King Endymion warned his younger self, "We need a good plan before we attack such a treacherous place."

"I hate that planet," Diana said, "And I hate that Black Crystal. It's basically the opposite of the Silver Crystal, isn't it? Instead of sending out beautiful light, it sucks in darkness. It's scary."

"What we need is the Silver Crystal," said Venus as she paced, "But without Sailor Moon or Neo Queen Serenity, we can't do anything. Nobody else can control it."

"What about Chibiusa?" Luna asked, "After all, she's Neo Queen Serenity's daughter. She has to be able to use the crystal. She carries the bloodline of the Silver Millennium."

King Endymion nodded, "You would think she would be powerful. But Small Lady has no power at all. Tell me, how old do you think she is?"

Minako shrugged, "Eight?"

Endymion grinned, "Try nine hundred."

"Nine hundred?"

"The rulers of the Silver Millennium obtain their power once they reach puberty. But Small Lady stopped growing one day. She remained a child. She's a new kind of descendant of the Silver Millennium, one born on Earth. We don't understand her development."

"So she will be like that forever?" Minako asked, "But what about the kingdom? Who will be the next ruler after Neo Queen Serenity? Who will become the new master of the Silver Crystal?"

"She will obtain power one day," Endymion insisted, "Eventually her sailor soldier powers will awaken. It is her destiny to protect and rule this planet."

They all went quiet for a while. Luna kept staring at the place on the screen where Nemesis used to be. Finally she asked, "King, how long have you been at war with Black Moon? When did they first appear?"

"I suppose it started a few centuries ago. A man who called himself Phantom began murdering people, destroying people, committing atrocious crimes. The Queen had practically eliminated crime during the first fifty years of her reign, so this came as a great surprise. Phantom was insane. On his head was a black crescent moon, the true opposite of the Silver Millennium. Neo Queen Serenity hadn't actually used the crystal for many long years, but she took it up again to battle this man. She caught him and had him sent to Nemesis. That was when she ordered that nobody else shall ever come in contact with Nemesis, so that Phantom would never reach this world ever again. The peace returned, and the citizens of Crystal Tokyo soon forgot all about Phantom. Until the rebels appeared with the same mark as his on their forehead. That was when Black Moon became a threat."

"Maybe they were related to Phantom," Luna suggested, "If they have the same mark?"

"Those who fight with Black Moon are not under the Silver Crystal's influence, so they do not have a long life. It's impossible for them to remember Phantom. And if they were descendants, they would have no way of knowing. I don't know their motives, but they want to destroy everything we hold dear."

Mamoru frowned. If that was their goal, then they were definitely succeeding. He hadn't let go of the Moon Rod since Usagi was kidnapped. He looked at it now. It had cracked in a few places. He painfully remembered the moment it had appeared, when it was born from the combination of his and her powers. He pursed his lips and shut his eyes tightly, vowing to himself that he would do anything to rescue Usako.

Usagi gasped, awaking from her nap. She could have sworn she heard Mamoru calling out to her. But she looked around, and she was still in the same bedroom. This time she had curled up on chaise lounge, since she figured out that the bed belonged to Prince Diamond.

She hoped that somewhere Mamoru really was thinking of her and calling out her name. But he and Venus were too far away for her to be able to hear their voices. Usagi hugged herself, wishing with all her might that she was home and safe and with all her friends. She was alone, and scared, and unable to transform.

She didn't want to cry. Usagi rubbed her eyes, trying to compose herself. She wanted to go somewhere and hide, but she didn't dare trust anything in this castle. She wasn't looking forward to seeing Prince Diamond again. The thought of him kissing her was bitter, and left a bad taste in her mouth. Then she realized that she could no longer say that Mamoru was the only man she had ever kissed, in both of her lives.

Now she began crying without holding anything back. She hid her face in her hands and let the tears flow, thinking of her Mamo-chan. Why did they have to have a fight before she was kidnapped? If only she had been more composed during the battle, and not frantic over Mamoru and Chibiusa, then she wouldn't have been taken. She was paying the price for not concentrating on the battle. Now, for all she knew, she would die here on Nemesis.

"Stop it," she said to herself, "Shut up, Usagi. You can figure this out..." so she sat and thought about what to do. But every plan she concocted involved her transforming, which was impossible now. If only there was someone who could tell her what to do.

The last time she had felt this distressed about a mission, she had gone to the moon and was reassured by her past mother, Queen Serenity. She remembered her calm, relaxing voice, "_Princess Serenity, please remember this. The Silver Crystal works in tune with your heart. You must have a strong faith in yourself, a strong will in your body, and deep love in your soul in order to wipe out that demon. Without those, all will be lost._"

That explained it. The Silver Crystal followed her heart. And for the past few days, her heart had been very confused. She had lost her confidence, especially whenever Mamo-chan favored Chibiusa over her. That had to be why her power was failing her.

She stood, and told herself, "I am the future Neo Queen Serenity, I will become the ruler of Earth. It will be my duty to protect everyone and the planet. I will have to be brave."

She thought about her friends, her fellow soldiers. They had some wonderful moments together. She recalled their laughter after she resurrected them and they learned the battle against Metallia was won. She remembered the five of them sitting in the smoothie shop, before they had even heard of Black Moon, giggling away and making fun of her for being weirded out by Chibiusa's appearance. And even better, she remembered the look on Mamoru's face as he laid her down on his couch. He was smiling at her, and his eyes were filled with the most endearing love.

"I'm not alone," Usagi said, and repeated with more confidence, "I'm not alone! Usagi, you have to believe in your power. You have to do something now. Your friends are on this planet. Find them."

She clasped her hands together and concentrated with all her might on her three captive friends. She whispered, "Mars, Mercury, Jupiter."

Ami, Rei and Makoto stirred, and slowly climbed to their feet. Makoto rubbed her head, since she was certain she heard Usagi's voice, and asked, "Sailor Moon?"

"Jupiter?" Ami replied.

Makoto gasped at her two friends, and they stared back at her.

"What are you guys doing here?" Rei asked.

"You were captured," Ami said, "And so was I. And Mako-chan, you too?"

"Yeah," Makoto replied, "But I was in my sailor outfit. Why am I in my school uniform?"

Rei reached down and touched her blouse, "We aren't transformed. What happened?"

"Where are we?" Ami asked, looking around. The room they were in was pitch dark. Rei inhaled sharply, as her eyes adjusted first.

"There's... there's..." she stuttered.

"There's what?" Makoto asked, before she saw it too, "Oh my God, gross."

Rei finished her sentence, "There's a rotting corpse in the corner."

"Nasty," Ami cringed, "It looks like a monster."

The skeleton was slouched in the corner, still dressed in a military uniform that was in tatters. The skull seemed to stare back at them through its empty eye sockets. A black moon was carved on its forehead.

"Is this a cave?" Ami asked, "Is there a way out of here?"

"How long have we even been here?" Rei asked.

"Does it matter?" said Makoto, "Let's just get out. I know I heard Usagi's voice."

"I heard her too!" said Ami, "She must be here somewhere."

"Let's transform, guys. Jupiter Star Power, Make Up!"

"Mercury Star Power, Make Up!"

"Mars Star Power, Make Up!"

The three soldiers looked down at themselves. None of them had transformed.

The skeleton's eyes began to glow. Instantly the three girls felt their power draining out of them, and they collapsed back on the ground.

"No," Makoto tried to resist and gasped out, "I have to... uh... Sailor Moon!"

Usagi's eyes flew open. She knew she felt her friends. Their power was like a small, flickering flame that suddenly went out. She tried again to contact them, but got no response.

Chibiusa was sitting in her bedroom of the Crystal Palace, thinking back on all that had happened. She looked into Luna-P's face and said, "Do you remember when I first met Usagi and Mamo-chan, in the past? I couldn't believe that was really Sailor Moon, my future mother. She was nothing like I imagined. She got bad grades, messed up a lot and got yelled at," Chibiusa smiled, "Kind of like me. I wish I could go back to that time. It was fun. Now I never will."

She remembered the first time her father had told her a Sailor Moon story at bedtime. She was on the edge of her bed, hanging on every word, and the king told of the defeat of Queen Metallia and the resurrection of the Silver Millennium. Right when he got to a scary point, she interrupted, "But she wins, right? Sailor Moon wins the fight."

"Of course," he said to her, "Sailor Moon never loses a battle."

"Why?"

He smiled at his daughter, "Because Sailor Moon has a strong heart, and very dear friends, and her power is unrivaled."

"I wish I had power," Chibiusa sighed.

"Someday, Small Lady," Endymion stroked her hair, "You are your mother's daughter. It will happen someday."

Chibiusa had been teased her entire life about her lack of power. Whenever she made an appearance at a ball, she could hear the guests whispering, "The princess doesn't even have the mark of the Silver Millennium on her forehead!", "Is she going to look like a short little girl forever?", "She's nothing at all like the queen." She even went to school for a while, but opted for private tutors since she was teased so often. She used to run home crying into her father's arms, who would just laugh and say, "Little Usagi's are always crybabies. You're just like your mother."

That was the only time she had been truly compared to Neo Queen Serenity. She didn't think she looked like her mother, or acted like her, or even had a small piece of her power. Her mother was a beautiful, wonderful person, and her father obviously loved her for it. She was jealous of all the attention he gave her mother.

One day, a boy from the royal court came up to her, "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Chibiusa answered.

"There's a rumor that you're not actually Neo Queen Serenity's daughter."

Chibiusa rolled her eyes, "Of course I'm her daughter."

"Did she even raise you?"

She had no response. No, her mother hadn't really raised her. There were plenty of attendants, nannies, caretakers and servants. Her father and mother only saw her if they had time.

"They're busy," Chibiusa finally replied, "Especially my mother."

"If you're the real princess," he continued to tease, "Then you should be able to use the Silver Crystal. Have you even tried using it?"

Chibiusa realized then that she hadn't.

The boy was laughing, "Have you even _seen _it?"

Chibiusa stormed off. She ran to her parent's apartments, and tip-toed through their bedchambers, quietly entering a secret, tiny room. There, the Silver Crystal sat on a pedestal, glowing softly under a glass case. Chibiusa lifted up Luna-P and smashed the glass. She gingerly held the crystal in her hands, feeling it's power vibrate against her skin.

"Small Lady?" her mother's voice came from the other room. She quickly hid behind the pedestal, clutching the crystal tightly in her hands.

"Small Lady, did you come in here? Where..." the queen suddenly gasped as she saw that her crystal was gone. She turned on her heel, calling out, "Small Lady! Small Lady!"

That was when the bright flash appeared, and an explosion so loud that Chibiusa put her hands over her ears and screamed. When it was over, she ran to the nearest window and looked outside in horror. The city had been shattered. She saw her mother rush outside the castle toward a little girl who had been just been killed in a strange man's grip. He tried to attack her, but the guardians appeared and trapped her inside a crystal mass. She could only watch, horrified.

Chibiusa rubbed her eyes, wondering why she was dwelling on these bad memories. She knew in her heart that if she hadn't tried to steal the crystal, her mother wouldn't be asleep. Everything was always her fault.

Luna-P beeped, and began singing her cheering up song, "Abracadabra poof! Abracadabra poof!"

Chibiusa blinked away her tears, remembering the time that she had learned that song from Sailor Pluto. She decided then and there that she would go visit Pluto, the only person who had tried to be real friends with her.

She walked down the hall leading to the gate of time, recalling the first time she had made this journey. She had opened the door out of curiosity one day, and was surprised to find a sailor soldier that she had never met before standing there. When she caught her eye, the soldier knelt before her on one knee, "You must be Small Lady. It is an honor to meet you."

"How do you know me?" Chibiusa asked.

"Only those of the Silver Millennium can enter through that door. I've heard so much about you from your parents. My name is Sailor Pluto, and I guard this door," Pluto smiled at her, "You look so much like your mother. I bet one day you're going to be beautiful, just like her."

Chibiusa smiled, "Really? Nobody else beside Mommy and Daddy has ever told me that."

"Is that so?" Sailor Pluto frowned a little.

"What's that staff you have?"

"This?" Pluto's grin returned, "This is my Garnet Orb. Watch this," she waved it in the air and sang, "Abracadabra poof!"

White roses suddenly flew through the air, and Chibiusa applauded the magic trick.

"My Mommy has a scepter like that. It helps work the Silver Crystal. It can make miracles."

"And someday, you will make miracles too," Pluto put a hand on her shoulder, "After all, you're the queen's daughter."

She had gone to see Pluto every day after that, and each time it had been lots of fun. But this time when she opened the door, she saw the spirit of her father having an important conversation with the guardian of time.

"I thought Small Lady would be here with you," Endymion said, "I bet she's still in her chambers. I hope she's okay."

"She's fine, I'm sure she is," Pluto was smiling wider than Chibiusa had ever seen her smile, "She's the princess, after all. And she has Luna-P."

He grinned, "Of course. I do have some bad news however, Pluto. Sailor Moon has been captured by the enemy. This whole situation is growing worse and worse. Please lend all your power to Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Venus, they truly need it."

"Yes!" Pluto said enthusiastically, "Of course I will, King. Anything you say."

Chibiusa had never seen this side of Pluto before. There had always been something about her that looked a little sad, or depressed. Pluto had never acted this happy before. She thought Pluto only smiled for her.

She hid behind the opened door, so that her father wouldn't see her as he made his way back inside the castle. Chibiusa tried her hardest not to cry. She was mad at Pluto, who turned out to not be her special friend at all. There wasn't anyone special to her anymore. Nobody had ever really loved her.

Once the door was shut, she dashed off into the darkness of time, so she could be truly alone. She didn't notice her necklace breaking, and her time key falling to the dark ground. Pluto heard it, however, and looked around.

"Small Lady? Are you there?"she looked near the door, and froze in horror when she saw the key that Chibiusa had stolen from her. She slowly walked over to it and picked it up. She trembled, knowing full well that if Chibiusa went out into the darkness of time without a key, she would most likely be lost forever.

Chibiusa finally stopped running and looked around. The space around her seemed darker than usual, and white rose petals were fluttering around in an invisible breeze. She clutched Luna-P tightly, wondering just how far she had gone.

She nearly dropped her toy as it began beeping its alarm. Someone dangerous was nearby. Chibiusa let go of the ball and reached for the time key around her neck, and felt panic settle in when she only felt the Silver Crystal sitting there. She looked around her feet, desperate to find the key.

"Well," came a gravely voice that she recognized, "What are you doing so far away from home? Are you lost? You look like you're lost."

Chibiusa looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, "Who are you?"

"I am the cloaked spirit of darkness, and I only appear to those who follow the darkness in their hearts. You ran away from the only world you know without saying goodbye, and came here to the end of the world. So very brave. And they say you've never awakened."

Her eyes finally adjusted to the dark, and she saw the man in the cloak holding the crystal ball. He was there when Sailor Moon was kidnapped, and Chibiusa cowered. But the more he spoke, the more sense he made.

"You have a great power inside of you, but nobody understands you, and therefore your power is repressed. What you need is someone who can help you, train you, and make you into the woman you've longed to be. I can awaken your true powers."

"You can?" Chibiusa asked in a small voice.

"Oh yes," he continued, his warped hands twisting around his crystal, "This wasn't a chance meeting. This is your destiny, Serenity Usagi. Our meeting was fated. I am the person who you have been waiting to meet for your entire life. You don't need the Silver Crystal, or your parents, or anyone else to become powerful. You only need me. Come," he held out his hand, "Come with me."

Pluto gasped when the key in her hands began to ominously glow, "Oh Small Lady, what are you doing?"

Wiseman beckoned, "Come, take my hand."

Chibiusa hesitantly stepped forward to him, but she took his hand in confidence.

There was a great roaring sound from the depths of time, and Pluto braced herself as she was hit with a strong blast of wind. She struggled to look through her long hair, which was whipping around her face, to see what was happening. Hurricane force winds were tearing through the time-space continuum, blowing white rose petals everywhere.

"This isn't right!" Pluto thought out loud, her voice barely audible against the strong gales, "A storm like this must mean... something has gone wrong with the order of time! It must be Chaos, it's... oh Small Lady, what have you done? Where are you? You're in danger, I know it!"

She rushed to the door and pounded her fists against it, yelling, "King Endymion! King Endymion!"

The wind unexpectedly picked her up off her feet, and her head slammed into the strong wood of the door. She collapsed, unconscious, as her staff fell to her feet with a loud clatter.

King Endymion could feel that something had gone terribly wrong. His vision, which was already distorted through his spirit body, faded to black as if he were about to faint. He held his head and willed himself to come back to normal. He did so quickly, and for a moment, he felt as if his wife was beside him.

He looked up, remembering where he was. He brought Venus, Tuxedo Kamen, and the cats to the library, so they could do some research. Venus was excitedly looking through the digital copies of old texts, marveling at the technology. But Tuxedo Kamen, his younger self, was staring at him, "What's wrong?"

King Endymion pursed his lips, "I need to see Sailor Pluto for something. I have a... bad feeling."

Mamoru recognized the look on King Endymion's face instantly. Something was wrong with Chibiusa. Feeling his heart pounding, he said, "I'm coming with you."

"And me!" said Venus, "I'm going too."

"No," Tuxedo Kamen and King Endymion said at the same time with the same voice. King Endymion continued, "Wait here, Venus. We will be back soon."

Sailor Venus just stared at the two men, their capes fluttering behind them as they dashed out of the library. The sight was a little eerie.

"That's so unfair!" Venus plopped down in a cozy armchair, "I never get to do anything! We've just been sitting around this whole time!"

"Calm down, Mina," Artemis hopped into her lap, "Luna and I haven't been sitting around. Come see what we found on the database."

"What is it?" Minako carried Artemis over to a small computer that Luna was sitting in front of.

The black cat nodded at her, "I found the case file we've been looking for. I had to look back pretty far to find anything about Death Phantom."

"Death Phantom?" Minako repeated, "That was the guy that was sent to Nemesis, right?"

"Yes," Luna said, looking back at the computer, "He was said to be the worst criminal in Earth's history. He turned Crystal Tokyo into a city filled with crime, hatred and evil. He possessed two magical powers: warped, twisted hands and an evil eye. But he was still human, so when the queen caught him, she refused to execute him. So she sentenced him to life on Nemesis, and closed off the planet forever."

"Nemesis," Artemis grumbled, "Everything comes back to Nemesis, doesn't it?"

King Endymion flinched as he felt the storm in time blow through his spirit body. But he gasped when he saw the guardian lying unconscious.

"Pluto!" he reached down to pick her up, and suddenly remembered that his body would just go through her. Tuxedo Kamen helped him, and picked her up off the ground. She groaned.

"What's going on?" King Endymion knelt beside her, "What is this storm?"

"King," Pluto mumbled, coming to. She looked up at Tuxedo Kamen in confusion before realizing that the past and future king were at her side. She turned to King Endymion and explained, "Small Lady was here, she must have slipped past us. But she left her key. She's gone."

"What?" Tuxedo Kamen gasped.

"This storm is coming from the deepest reaches of time," Pluto continued, "She must have wandered really far, and something happened. Something bad happened to her. There's been some kind of change in the time-space continuum."

Tuxedo Kamen stood, "So she's at the other end of this storm, right?" and without waiting for confirmation, he rushed right into the wind.

"No, Tuxedo Kamen!" Pluto called after him, "You have to have a key!"

But he couldn't hear her voice. All he heard was the wind and his heart beating fast in his ears.

Usagi finally gave in. She couldn't sit around and wait any longer. She clutched her brooch in one hand, and quietly tip-toed out of the bedroom.

The castle was made of dark stone. Pillars were carved into the walls, and dim chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling. There were far too many doors, and Usagi blindly wandered through them, walking from empty room to empty room. Her bare feet were cold against the stone floor.

The more she walked, the harder it became to breathe. It was almost like the air had some sort of invisible gas floating through it and was filling up her lungs. But she didn't dare try to give up. She knew her friends were somewhere in the castle. After all, she had felt their presence, even though it was just for a second.

Eventually she had to walk with one hand against the wall to support herself. Her knees were getting weak and her breath was short. She paused for a break, leaning against the stone wall to gather her strength. As she tried to catch her breath, she heard a voice not too far away.

She peered around the corner and saw Rubeus and Sapphire pouring themselves a drink and chatting. Rubeus took a sip and said, "So what is our prince going to do next? And just what is he planning to do with the future queen?"

"I think that's obvious," Sapphire rolled his eyes, "He did put her in his bedchamber, after all."

"She won't last very long in this castle though," Rubeus replied, "Her body isn't strong enough to handle all the Black Crystal that grows here. Are those three soldiers even still alive?"

Usagi clutched her heart, fearing the worst.

"Not for long," Sapphire said, leaning against a column, "We only took them so we could lure Sailor Moon here. There's no more use for them. Soon they will rot away in the Room of Darkness. It's only a matter of time."

Usagi squeezed her eyes tight. Her friends were dying in a place called the Room of Darkness. It sounded so terrible. And not only that, they were suffering because the enemy wanted to capture her. They were dying because of her.

"Should we see if they're still alive?" Rubeus suggested.

"You go look," Sapphire shrugged, "I hate going down there."

"Me too," Rubeus sighed, "That corpse down there can hardly be described as human anymore. It owns that space, controls is, does whatever it wants with it."

"I hate it," Sapphire shuddered, "I wish it never existed."

"You're scared, aren't you?" Rubeus teased.

"I'm not afraid to admit it," Sapphire said confidently, "This planet still has some dangerous secrets inside of it that we will never understand. This world thinks for itself. Sometimes I get the feeling that it's using us, like pawns."

Usagi was feeling herself faint from lack of oxygen. She repeated herself in her mind, _the Room of Darkness, the Room of Darkness_, so she wouldn't forget the name. She slumped down to the ground and passed out.

Prince Diamond smiled. He was impressed that the future queen never noticed him following her. He quietly walked over to her and picked up her limp body. He casually carried her back to his bedroom and laid her down on his bed. So very delicately, he caressed her cheek and loomed over her. Usagi, half awake, leaned toward the strong hand against her face, and smiled as she whispered, "Mamo-chan."

Mamoru stopped in his tracks. Even though the wind around him was deafening, he could have sworn he heard Usagi. He looked around, but all there was as far as his blue eyes could see were darkness and white rose petals. Chibiusa was somewhere in this terrible storm, and she needed help. Mamoru knew in his heart that he was going to find her, and once he did, he was going straight to Nemesis to rescue Usako. He squeezed the Moon Rod tightly in his hands, sending his love straight to his beloved.

Usagi's eyes snapped open, and when she saw Prince Diamond hovering over her, she quickly shoved him away. She crawled to the other side of his bed, keeping some distance from him, and clutched the Silver Crystal brooch to her chest, "Don't touch me. Don't you ever touch me again."

Prince Diamond glared at her, and quickly advanced to her side of the bed, "Oh, is that so?"

Somehow, all she could think about was Mamoru. Usagi was never going to let any man other than him be intimate with her. She gathered her strength, knowing that she couldn't allow herself to die on this planet before she saw her Mamo-chan again. Before Prince Diamond could grab her, she startled him by yelling, "Where is the Room of Darkness?"

He took a step back, "How do you know about that place?"

"That's where my friends are!" she stood and maneuvered around him, "You're holding my friends prisoner in some dungeon, and I have to rescue them!"

Prince Diamond chuckled, "You still think your pretty little friends are alive?"

"Of course!" she yelled, and she furiously ran to the door, "And I'm going to find them!" She ran outside of the bedroom, and went in the opposite direction she had taken before. Prince Diamond just sighed as he watched her flee.

Sapphire grinned. His workshop was the best part about his cursed planet. He approached the furnace and called out the names of his two new droids, "Veneti, Aquatiki."

They weren't completed, but they were already assuming their human form. The two robots emerged from the dark energy, swirling into being. Only their upper body was complete, and their facial features had yet to be drawn on. But their new mouths smiled at their creator, "Prince Sapphire."

"You two are going to be my own perfect droids," Sapphire grinned, "You will be far more powerful than the droids I made for Rubeus and Emerald. I gave them flaws on purpose. But you, Veneti and Aquatiki, will be my finest creations. I will use you for my own plots and operations, and you will obey my orders exactly, without making any frivolous changes."

He heard a gasp behind him, and he turned to see the future queen staring into his workshop, her jaw dropped open.

Usagi couldn't believe what she was seeing. The room had no ceiling; it was exposed to the outside of the planet. In the center were many stone pillars surrounding a massive beam of dark energy, shooting straight out of the planet like a column that reached far into space.

"Greetings, future Neo Queen Serenity. Or, as they will call you one day, the beautiful ruler," Sapphire casually greeted.

"What..." Usagi was staring up, trying to see how far the dark energy traveled, "What is this?"

"This is my workshop, fueled by the core of Nemesis. This here," he gestured to the energy, "Is my furnace, a reactor fueled entirely by Black Crystal."

"It's gigantic," Usagi slowly stepped into the room, still staring up, "I've never seen anything like this."

"Isn't it lovely?" Sapphire stood beside her, "This is the only room in the castle that is above ground, exposed to the outside atmosphere. But its power comes from deep within the planet. How did you think you arrived here?" he smiled at her, "You came through this furnace, queen. And this is where we send our droids into the past to attack you and implement our little project."

"Your plan to rewrite history?" Usagi asked him.

"Yes. Well, my brother's plan," he shrugged, "I'm just around to get my hands dirty and work. Crafting droids here on Nemesis has been a lot of fun. The power of the black crystals on this planet is breathtaking. But at the same time, it's highly dangerous. This furnace could erupt at any minute. My brother is making the furnace work to capacity. It takes a lot of energy to create so many droids and send them back in time. It's straining my fusion reactor, and nobody knows when it will reach its limit and explode. Just like my brother," he chuckled and looked at Usagi, "If you haven't noticed by now, Diamond does whatever he wants, and any little thing could make him burst with anger. He changes his mind all the time, and it drives me crazy. You know how he attacked Crystal Tokyo with a gigantic black crystal? That wasn't in our plan. I know," he grinned, "I should change the plan. I could send you back home right now, using this."

Usagi stared at the reactor, tempted to take up his offer. But she looked back at him, "My friends are here. I have to bring them back too."

"True," he sighed, "Besides, Diamond would probably kill me if I set you free. He's changed ever since Wiseman appeared."

"Wiseman?" Usagi asked, "Is that that... man in the cloak?"

Sapphire nodded, "Wiseman just appeared in front of me and my friends one day. He convinced us to come to this planet. And now he just uses us to manipulate the negative energy here, and distort time and space. When we first settled here, my brother and my friends and I, Wiseman appeared again and ordered us to destroy the Silver Crystal. It was our only obstacle in our path to take over Crystal Tokyo. Wiseman said that the crystal is equal in power to all the black crystals on Nemesis. When Diamond heard that, he got this strange look on his face, and he said that the only way to make the queen appear with the crystal was to annihilate Crystal Tokyo. I tried to talk him out of it, after all, we were born and raised there. But he was determined to change our plan. He said that it was just a test of our power."

"A test?" Usagi clutched her brooch even tighter, "He attacked Crystal Tokyo... just to see what would happen?"

"This planet and the black crystals growing on it have possessed my brother. He has become an unstoppable force. He doesn't realize that all of this time travel is going to warp everything, and cause terrible disturbances in the continuum. We are in terrible danger. All of us. You, me, this planet. Everything."

Sapphire quickly stepped in front of Usagi, "You won't tell anyone about this, will you? Everything that I've said to you just now?"

"Um," Usagi was very suddenly afraid, "Me? Of course I... I..."

With a cold voice he called out, "Veneti, Aquatiki."

Usagi felt two hands on each of her arms. She was thrown to the ground, her arms pinned down by two wispy looking people.

Sapphire crawled on top of her and grabbed her neck tightly, "Of course you won't, because I am going to become the one who kills the legendary warrior Sailor Moon! If I kill you now, then I will truly rewire the past, all on my own. Then there will never be a Neo Queen Serenity, or a Crystal Tokyo. And there will have been no reason for my brother to go mad! It's your fault he's gone crazy! It's your fault that everything went wrong!"

He held up his free hand, and a large shard of black crystal appeared in it. He held it over her, and aimed the pointy end right over her face, "You are a terrible woman! You and that pathetic Silver Crystal wrecked history! You ruined everything! Goodbye, Sailor Moon!"

"No, please!" she screamed, "It's not my fault! Don't!" and a bright light began to pour out of her brooch, flooding the workshop with sparkling phosphorescence.

Sailor Venus gasped. Even though she was still in the library, she could have sworn that she felt Usagi's presence.

Mamoru hesitated when he saw the Moon Rod begin to give off a tiny glow. He stared at it and whispered, "Usako, what's happening?"

Prince Diamond and Rubeus could see the glow, even though they were at the opposite end of the castle, and they raced toward the workshop.

Neo Queen Serenity's eyelids flickered, and her crystal tomb began to shine.

Wiseman's crystal ball was lit like a lantern, erasing the darkness of deep space, "What a powerful beacon, to have reached this far into this dimension of time. Could it be?"

"Yes," said the woman beside him. Her long, pink pigtails fluttered in the breeze, and her revealing black dress clung to her curves, "That's definitely the power of the Silver Crystal. We should go to Nemesis, Wiseman. I will accompany you."

The crystal's light evaporated the incomplete droids, and Sapphire had to shield his eyes from the piercing glare. Usagi stood, looking at her brooch and feeling more powerful than she had in a long time. She suddenly realized that she was outside, and therefore she was most likely free from the dark influence of the castle. With a fierce grin on her face, she called out, "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"No!" she heard Prince Diamond from the doorway, and Sailor Moon glared at him as he said, "You weren't supposed to recover your power!"

"Stand aside," she told him as she walked toward the door. She could feel her power surging through her like never before. It was almost as if she had become a different type of Sailor Moon, one that was confident and powerful... and really angry.

Rubeus crossed his arms and didn't move out of her way, "No."

Sailor Moon walked right up to him, and put her face in his as she repeated, "Stand. Aside," as she spoke, the castle began to tremor, and the stone walls started to crack. Rubeus quickly stood aside.

Once she was back in the castle, she concentrated on her friends once again, but this time she was fueled with the power of the Silver Crystal. She knelt to the ground and rested her hands on the floor, sending her power down below the depths of the castle, where the dungeon must have been. It didn't take long for her to sense the essence of her three friends. They were very weak, and they must have been in a deep sleep for a long time.

"Wake up!" Sailor Moon ordered. A crack appeared under her hands, and it quickly spread, creating a massive chasm in the floor.

Ami, Rei and Makoto awoke at the same time, and simultaneously called out, "Sailor Moon?"

Sailor Moon smiled, and communicated with them through her power, "_Everyone, are you all right?"_

"Where are you?" Makoto cried out, "What's going on?"

The eye sockets of the corpse in the corner began to glow, and the three soldiers felt themselves become weak once again. Rei called out, "Sailor Moon, help! We can't transform down here!"

Ami's knees buckled, "Help us! How do we get out of here?"

Usagi smiled as she sent more power toward them, _"You can morph. I'll help you. Do it now."_

"Jupiter Star Power, Make Up!"

"Mercury Star Power, Make Up!"

"Mars Star Power, Make Up!"

The crack in the floor opened even wider, and with a tremor and a large crash, Sailors Mercury, Mars and Jupiter flew out of it. They landed safely on their feet.

"I don't believe it," Rubeus gasped, and just stared at his prince, silently asking what they should do.

Prince Diamond was scared for the first time in a very long time. He felt a little reassured when he sensed Wiseman materializing, and soon the cloaked being was beside him, saying, "Don't worry Prince, I'm here. Right here."

Wiseman's head lifted a little, and instead of a face, all that was visible were two bright, glowing eyes.

Sailor Moon put her hands on her hips, "You must be Wiseman."

"And you control that power from the Silver Crystal," Wiseman said, his eyes glowing like two small flashlights, "It's a power that can cross time and space in a way I never thought possible. I can use that to increase the negative power of Nemesis, and spread the might of the Black Crystal everywhere."

"Right," Diamond smiled at his master, "A crystal of that power shouldn't exist. It will only cause war."

"No, you're wrong!" Sailor Moon yelled, "The Silver Crystal protects peace, and brings love and tranquility. You only think otherwise because you got brainwashed by evil!" as she spoke, the crescent moon that was normally hidden by her tiara began to glow, "You are going to stop fighting. And there is going to be peace forever."

Prince Diamond felt a small tremor of fear when he realized just what was happening to Sailor Moon. Her face had changed, ever so slightly, aging just a bit. And that tone of her voice, her choice of words, the sudden power she wielded... he wasn't looking at Sailor Moon. This was Neo Queen Serenity. Her spirit was inside of Sailor Moon. He gulped, and said as confidently as he could, "You live in a fantasy world. There's no much thing as a place that will always be filled with love and tranquility. That Silver Crystal causes delusions. It's the source of everything wrong in the universe. Right, Wiseman?"

"Certainly, prince," Wiseman's eyes were unblinking, "I will take all the power in that stone and use it for its true purpose. You can't convince me otherwise, Sailor Moon. Now, Prince Diamond, kill these soldiers."

Neo Queen Serenity spoke through Sailor Moon, "You cannot kill us. You won't win."

The castle began to shake once again, this time it was powerful enough to make the chandeliers fall and the walls start to crumble. Rubeus was suddenly fearful for his life, and ran into the workshop to escape the interior of the castle. He gasped when he saw Wiseman was also there, facing him.

"You aren't running away, Rubeus, are you?"

Rubeus spat on the ground, "I'm not going to die in there like some dog."

A playful, sexy and feminine voice giggled in his ear and whispered, "Coward."

"Who..." he turned to the source of the voice, and found himself looking at a gorgeous woman who seemed oddly familiar, "Who are you?"

Wiseman spoke, "You will follow my orders, Rubeus. You are mine."

"No!" Rubeus scowled, "I swore loyalty to Prince Diamond, not you! Who are you anyway? What are you really using us for? Why don't you take off that hood and show me who you really are?"

"Fool," Wiseman's hands twisted out toward Rubeus, rippling like ribbons until they reached Rubeus' neck and squeezed tightly. Rubeus called out, "Prince!" before Wiseman made him shrivel like a raisin, and dropped his dried up corpse. The woman beside him chuckled.

Sailor Moon and her soldiers were also fleeing the crumbling castle, and Sapphire and Prince Diamond were at their heels. They reached a gateway, and Usagi had a strange feeling of deja vu. It was a crater with three large quartz crystals pointing out of it. Before she had time to recall her dream, the hall behind them collapsed, and Sapphire let out a yelp.

Usagi turned to her soldiers, and spoke with the authority of a queen, "Everyone! Let's combine our powers so we can teleport out of here."

"How?" Sailor Mercury asked her, "Do you know where we are?"

"Far away," Sailor Moon explained as she held out her time key, "But now I have friends in high places."

"No!" Prince Diamond called out, "I won't let you escape!" his black moon morphed into his third eye, and he aimed it at the soldiers.

The girls had gathered around Sailor Moon, who was holding the key as high as she could in the air, and created a transport sphere around them. Before Prince Diamond's attack could reach them, they had vanished.

"Brother!" Sapphire yelled as he pushed his brother out of the way of the crumbling ceiling. The two of them dashed toward the opening that led outside, but they watched as the exit became blocked. They weren't fast enough. Submerged in darkness, they didn't see the walls falling on them.

Wiseman and his servant had returned to the depths of time, and she peered into the crystal ball as he explained, "Sailor Moon escaped, it seems. That crystal is extremely powerful. But I have a feeling that it will fall into our hands again very soon."

Mamoru's face appeared in the crystal ball, and they watched as he frantically searched for Chibiusa. The woman grinned ear to ear.

Wiseman gestured at the crystal ball, "Go get him."

Tuxedo Kamen's legs were tired from running against the strong wind. He stopped for a moment and put his hands around his mouth as he bellowed, "Chibiusa! Chibiusa, where are you? I'm here! Please answer me Chibiusa!"

He clutched the cracked Moon Rod to his chest, "Usako, please lend me power. Wherever you are. I need help."

Almost immediately he heard a woman's voice, "This way!"

Mamoru's heart raced, and he searched in the darkness for the source of the voice, which was still calling out, "Oh Tuxedo Kamee-een, I'm right over hee-eere!"

He stopped in his tracks. In front of him was a woman who resembled Chibiusa, but it definitely wasn't her. For one thing, she was adult, and had a black moon her forehead and black crystals in her ears. But it was the same hair, the same eyes, that same mischievous grin, "You found me Mamo-chan! Come here!" she held out her hand.

Mamoru looked from the Moon Rod, which he could have sworn was glowing a little, to the woman in front of him.

"Come on, hurry up!" she urged impatiently, "Come here!"

Hesitantly, he reached for her hand.

Sailor Venus rushed to the time door, and gawked at the storm, "What's going on?"

King Endymion and Sailor Pluto just stared at her, not sure what to say.

"Is Sailor Moon here?" she asked, "I thought I felt her. She's nearby, isn't she?"

"Venus," Endymion said gently, "No, she's not here. But Tuxedo Kamen..."

"Someone is approaching!" Pluto called out. Her garnet began to glow a dark, red color.

The four soldiers appeared before their very eyes. Sailor Moon, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter took a second to adjust to their new surroundings.

"You guys!" Venus cried out in surprise.

"Oh, hey Venus, what's up?" Sailor Moon said casually.

The five girls hugged each other tightly. Venus was near tears when she asked, "How the heck did you guys get here?"

"You're not going to believe this," Sailor Moon said, "But I could feel myself become powerful. I don't know how I know, but it had to be from Neo Queen Serenity. She got us home, I know she did."

"From the queen?" said King Endymion, "Then I suppose we still have some small hope."

Usagi realized that something was missing. If Venus, King Endymion and Pluto were gathered here...

"Where's Tuxedo Kamen?" she asked, suddenly feeling worried, "And Chibiusa?"

Pluto sighed before she explained, "Small Lady disappeared, Sailor Moon. She ran off into the void of time and space... and Tuxedo Kamen went into the storm to find her."


	23. Act 8: Clandestine Maneuvers

Act 8: Clandestine Maneuvers

"I'm going too," Usagi said instantly.

"No!" Pluto said quickly, "It's too dangerous. You won't even see where you are going!"

"That doesn't matter!" Usagi was feeling panic settling in, "If he's in that storm, then I have to find him."

"We don't know how far he's gone," Pluto continued, "Or where he is exactly. He could have fallen into some dark hole in time. And this storm will make it twice as difficult to locate him."

Usagi looked at Sailor Pluto resolutely, "I'm going, Pluto."

Pluto glared back at her for a moment, and finally said, "Of course, queen."

All of them stared into the darkness. Sailor Mercury spoke up, "So this is the void of time and space, you said? Scary. Everything looks the same. Where does this go to?"

"Nobody knows, Sailor Mercury," Pluto explained, "Nobody has reached the end. It's forbidden. It gets darker and darker the more you travel. I've heard that time will eventually crush you into nothingness. You do still have your key, right Sailor Moon? If you don't, you would wander here forever, aimlessly lost. Just as I think Small Lady has. This storm must have pulled her somewhere."

"So we just follow the storm," Sailor Venus said, "We are bound to run into Tuxedo Kamen, right? Maybe he has Chibiusa."

"I doubt it," Usagi said quietly, "What are the odds that he found her, in all the darkness of time?"

Sailor Mars shook her head, "I don't think so. He has a strong sense of responsibility. He keeps his promises. I'm sure he's with Chibiusa."

"Of course," Usagi said bitterly, "Do you know, Mars, that she is his daughter in the future? I mean, our daughter? Yeah. Black Moon attacked the thirtieth century, and she came back in time to get Sailor Moon's help. Mamo-chan has been obsessed with her. He let me get kidnapped by Black Moon because he was protecting her!"

"Is she really?" asked Mercury, "Your daughter in the future? That's fascinating!"

"Mercury!" Usagi stomped her foot, "Seriously?"

"Well, Usagi-chan," Jupiter put her hand on Sailor Moon's shoulder, "That explains it. He's so overprotective over Chibiusa because she's _your _daughter."

Usagi was quiet, and Makoto continued, "He will have that child with _you_, Usagi-chan. So of course he's going to protect her. Protecting her is the same as protecting you. And you have four soldiers to watch your back, and Chibiusa has nobody."

Sailor Moon wiped a tear from her eye, "That makes sense, but... I want him to guard me the way he does her. I've never seen him so adamant about anything. I just wish he was here. I had to rescue myself, and I expected him to be here. We're torn apart again, and..."

The garnet began to glow again. Pluto looked out into the dark, "Who is there? Show yourself!"

There was an odd sound of rubber bouncing on stone, like a ball in a playground. Luna-P slowly bounced itself to their feet. It's eyes were filled with static. Pluto hesitantly knelt down and picked it up, "Small Lady has never abandoned Luna-P. Something has happened to her, I know it."

Usagi was feeling weak. After her capture and dramatic escape, to losing Tuxedo Kamen and Chibiusa, and not seeing evidence that Chibiusa was in terrible danger was all becoming too much. Before she could announce that she was light-headed and about to faint, she collapsed to the ground.

Prince Diamond stirred, and looked around. He had been lying face down in a very dark place. He rubbed his head as he sat up, feeling weak and disoriented. There was a groan nearby, and he looked to find Sapphire lying beside him.

His brotherly instincts kicked in, "Sapphire, are you all right?"

"Diamond?" Sapphire rose, "What's going on? Where are..." Sapphire's eyes went wide and he shot to his feet, "We're in the Room of Darkness!"

They both turned to look in the corner, where the deteriorated corpse usually sat. But it was gone.

"Where is it?" Diamond asked out loud, "How did we get down here? What's the meaning of this?"  
>"Relax, boys," came a teasing, girlish voice from the darkness, "<em>I<em> brought you both down here. The reactor was going a bit haywire, and the surface of the planet was too dangerous. I just saved you guys from the destruction of the meltdown."

She walked into view. Her long, pink pigtails reached the floor. Her skintight black dress would have been revealing if she wasn't wearing a pink mesh top underneath. A black moon sat between her sparkling pink eyes. She continued, "The Silver Crystal sped up the fusion reactions. It caused a lot of fires to break out on the planet's crust. Did you know there were volcanoes here? Well, there are now. The surface is rippling with energy, and it's all thanks to you, Sapphire. Because of all your work at the reactor, the black crystals increased in energy production, and they grew. Nemesis is now more powerful than ever."

"Who are you?" Prince Diamond asked, "You have our mark, so you must be with Black Moon."

She smiled, and did a small pirouette in her black high heels. Her dress twirled around her, revealing the slit in her gown that went up to her hip, "Wiseman will tell you everything. Come with me," she grabbed Diamond's and Sapphire's hands and fell backwards, yanking them with her. Instead of falling flat on her back on the stone floor, she fell into a dark tunnel, pulling the men into the fabric of time and space. They fell for what felt like ages, and Sapphire was about to panic before he spotted something far below them, "What is that? Where are we going?"  
>She giggled, "This is the express route to the center of Nemesis. We're traveling in the opposite direction of your little furnace, Sapphire. This is where Wiseman lives, at the very end of time. Down there," she nodded at the structure they were approaching, "Will be your new home, Wiseman's Dark Castle."<p>

The castle was actually a tower, with a giant jewel shaped structure at the top. That was the true Black Crystal, which was larger than Diamond ever thought it would be. It was a crystal the size of a planet's core.

"You never answered my question," Diamond called out to her, "Who are you? You look familiar, like..." he couldn't say it. There was something about her face that was very similar to Neo Queen Serenity's. But she just smirked at him, teasingly.

They landed on a balcony, where Wiseman's shrouded, hovering figure was waiting for them, "Welcome to my home, gentlemen."

"Is this where you've always been?" Diamond said, wobbling a little after the long journey, "Whenever you appeared, you were coming from here?"

Wiseman ignored him, "Rabbit, stand by my side, where you belong."

Diamond and Sapphire gaped at the woman who sauntered next to Wiseman and smirked at them.

"You can't be Rabbit," Diamond said, "But... how? Your body..."

"I know, right?" she interrupted him, running her hands over her hips, "It's pretty hot, isn't it? This is why you should never doubt the powers of Wiseman. He turned my body into it's true form. I follow him as passionately as you and your friends once did. Haven't you forgotten, Prince?"

Diamond walked up to Wiseman. There was something different about the shadowy figure. He seemed more solid, and far more imposing, "Wiseman, stop playing with us. Tell us who you really are! What are your plans?"

Wiseman's eyes glowed, and Diamond and Sapphire felt a cold wave of energy wash over them. Wiseman spoke in his gravely, hypnotizing voice, "My will is law. You will do everything I ask. Carry out my orders."

"Yes," Sapphire and Diamond repeated, "We will carry out your orders."

The woman stepped forward and handed them both two pairs of black crystal earrings, "Take these. They are more powerful than your old ones. Here," she helped Sapphire put his in, while Diamond switched them out, "Now you are truly loyal to our cause, Sapphire."

"Behold," said Wiseman, and one of his warped hands opened to reveal the Silver Crystal of the future, "Now that I have Rabbit, I have this stone. But it does not glow like it did on the surface. What happened to its power?"

"Well duh," Rabbit's eyes rolled, "You can't control it unless you're Neo Queen Serenity."

"Of course," said Wiseman, "Besides, that was Sailor Moon's crystal that shone so brightly. We must capture it as well. We will destroy Sailor Moon as well as Neo Queen Serenity. You can do that for me, won't you my dear?"

She stepped toward Wiseman, taking him hand that held the Silver Crystal and pressed it against her cheek, "I promise. I will make sure both crystals are in your possession. It should be easy."

Prince Diamond was feeling more like himself. He crossed his arms, "That castle is nearly impossible to invade. And besides, how do you know that is the real Silver Crystal in your hand, Wiseman? You are awfully quick to trust someone so new to our cause."

She glared at Prince Diamond, "Oh really? You don't think I'm up to par with you, is that it? Why don't I just send another black crystal monolith into Crystal Tokyo? Then the queen has to appear, and she will kneel before me, begging for mercy."

"You're going to destroy the planet if you do," Sapphire warned.

"Who cares?" she shrugged, "I don't need that place. I was only ordered to get two Silver Crystals, Sailor Moon, and Neo Queen Serenity. That's all. Besides, I already have everything that I want. Oh Endymion!"

Tuxedo Kamen stepped out of the shadows. His face was expressionless, and the blue color of his eyes was replaced with black. The woman wrapped her arms around him, and he stood still, like a living doll, "Isn't he adorable? Oh, Sapphire, Diamond, you can teleport whenever you want, thanks to those new earrings. Go and attack Earth."

The two brothers nodded and disappeared.

She looked up into Tuxedo Kamen's face. He was young, handsome, and everything she could ever want. He didn't look back at her, and just resumed staring into nothingness.

"You're beautiful," she sighed, and she dared to plant a small kiss on his lips, "Nothing is going to separate us now. You're mine forever."

Usagi was having the dream again. The woman who looked like Chibiusa had taken Mamoru's hand, and they were running away from her. Usagi tried to chase them, calling out, "Mamo-chan! Chibiusa! Wait!"

She opened her eyes and found herself in her own bed, in her own room. Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako were all smiling at her.

"Are you feeling better, Usagi-chan?" Ami asked.

"Um, yeah," Usagi sat up, "How did we get back?"

"Pluto sent us home," Makoto said, "Don't worry, she explained everything to us. About Crystal Tokyo and all that."

There was a knock on her bedroom door, making them jump. Ikuko opened it, "Oh Usagi! You're finally awake! I can't believe you slept through the entire day. Are you feeling better after your concussion?"

Usagi blinked, "What concussion?"

"Oh, the girls told me you slipped from the parallel bars during gym. Isn't that what happened?"

"Yep!" Minako said, "That guy Umino-kun is a terrible spotter. But she's okay now, see?"

"That's good," Ikuko left the room, calling out, "Why don't I bring some tea for you all?"

Something began to beep near the foot of Usagi's bed. She reached over to pick up Luna-P, which spoke in its mechanical voice, "Lady... Lady..."

Luna hopped up on the bed, "The King fixed it for us, and he showed us how to work it. We used it to modify everyone's family's memories a little."

"That's good, I suppose," Usagi stood, still holding Luna-P, "Why did we come back here? Why aren't we in the thirtieth century?"

"You needed your rest," Artemis said, "You used up too much of your power at once and collapsed."

Rei sat on the bed, "You would think that after all that traveling across time and to the farthest planet on the solar system, you would be happy to be home."

"We're just glad you're awake, Usagi-chan," Makoto wrapped an arm around her princess, "Especially since you were snoring."

"Hey! I was not snoring!"

Minako was giggling, "We tried holding your nose for a while, it didn't quite work."

Ami nodded, "You know, there are plenty of simple medical treatments to keep you from snoring."

"Stop it guys, I..." Luna-P started to beep. It was almost a sad sound, as if it missed its master. Usagi sighed too, knowing that Chibiusa would have loved to be there and make fun of Usagi snoring. Just the thought of it made her heart ache a little.

Everyone paused, noticing the small change that came over Usagi.

She put on a brave face, "Everyone is home safe, after that whole kidnapping nightmare. I'm really glad!"

The four girls looked at each other, concerned. Ami spoke up, "Usagi-chan, what are you really thinking? Don't lie to us."

"Chibiusa should be here. My house doesn't feel quite right without her here," she looked around at her walls, "It feels empty."

"Hey!" Minako poked her, "We're trying to cheer you up!"

"Yeah," Makoto winked, "Quit acting like such a Mom."

"But it's true," Usagi said, hugging Luna-P tightly, "She's in trouble somewhere. And Tuxedo Kamen is lost. They're just as important to me as you four. We're going to find them," she nodded at her soldiers, "Together, we're going to find them. I need this encouragement from you all so I can stay strong."

King Endymion walked up to his wife's tomb. He placed a hand against the crystal, "Serenity? Can you hear me?"

He paused, hoping for some sign of life. But she just lay there, silent and unmoving.

"Serenity, we need your help. Our daughter, Small Lady, she... she is in trouble. I know you lent your power to Sailor Moon. I could feel your aura around her. You must have activated the power in her crystal. That's the only way it could have worked in this dimension. Serenity..." he pressed his forehead against the stone, "Please wake up. I need you, we all need you. Give me some of your power. I can't do very much in this form. Things are only getting worse outside the castle, and our past selves are in danger. And our daughter... oh Serenity, why won't you wake up?"

There was a tiny jingle at his feet, and Diana spoke up, "You don't need to worry so much, King."

He looked down at the kitten, "And why is that?"

"If there really was a terrible crisis, then the queen would wake up, just like she did with Sailor Moon. Right now, the silver crystal surrounding her is healing her. She's just saving up her power for when the time is right. If she's not awake, then that must mean that everything is okay. So don't be sad, King. Besides, Pluto is getting so worried about you."

"Pluto? Why is she worried about me?"

"You mean you've never noticed how she..." Diana stopped herself, and cleared her throat, "I mean, she loves Small Lady dearly. She's just worried about the princess. But we will get her back, King. We have to. And then the city will be peaceful again."

"Right," he knelt down to give the kitten a little scratch on her chin, "Thanks, Diana."

There was a very sudden loud roar outside, and King Endymion and Diana stared frightfully at the front door.

"Bye guys," Usagi waved at her friends from her front gate, "We'll meet up tomorrow after school, alright?"

They all waved back, except for Rei. She was staring at the sunset, "The sky is blood red. I don't like it. This was how it looked before that last battle with Metallia."

Usagi heard something clatter near her feet. She looked down to see her time key, which she could have sworn she had left in her bedroom. She knelt down to pick it up when the world began to warp. The ground shifted and bubbled, the sky became wavy, and all the buildings around her swayed from side to side. There was a sound like an explosion, but it seemed very far away. The girls fell to their knees, and Usagi screamed as she felt her body begin to warp as well. It felt like it was twisting into pieces. Then, just as suddenly as it started, it stopped.

"What was that?" Ami gasped, helping her friends up.

Usagi just stared at the key, which was letting out a tiny glow, "Something happened. I think Pluto is trying to call us. Guys, we have to go to her right now. Let's transform!"

The storm was still howling when the sailor soldiers returned to the doors of time. Sailor Pluto was looking through the door, opening it only a crack.

"Pluto, what happened?" Sailor Moon asked.

Sailor Pluto just stared at the soldiers sadly.

"What's going on? We felt some kind of shock wave in the past."

"It's terrible," was all Pluto said, and she held open the door so they could all see.

Crystal Tokyo was gone. The only building left was the castle. Everything else was flattened. The destruction around the black crystal was nothing now, because an even larger piece of black crystal had been thrust into the city, annihilating everything. Crystal Tokyo was a wasteland.

She opened the door to the castle and sauntered inside. Her black high heels clacked on the stone floor as she made her way to the tomb. She smiled at her mother, "Neo Queen Serenity. Wake up, it's me."

King Endymion rushed into the room, "Who are you? What are you doing here? Who..." he paused when he saw the woman he was talking to. She looked like an adult version of Small Lady, except the childlike innocence was gone from her face. Now her pink eyes were cruel and conniving.

"Oh hey Dad," she smiled at him, "Don't you recognize your own daughter? It's me, Small Lady Serenity Usagi."

He pursed his lips, thinking hard. It had to be her, since the only people who could simply walk inside the castle were those of the Silver Millennium, "What happened to you?"

"I grew up," she said simply, toying with the Silver Crystal necklace that she had wrapped around her wrist. She walked up to the spirit of her father, "Don't you think I look pretty?"

The front doors burst open, and the sailor soldiers dashed inside the castle. Sailor Moon stopped in her tracks when she saw the strange woman, since it looked exactly from the grown Chibiusa in her dream, "Who are you?"

She continued to play with the Silver Crystal, "Have you already forgotten me?" she grinned wickedly before suddenly rushing over to Sailor Moon. She grabbed Usagi's arm, pulling her close, and wrapped her hand around the Silver Crystal brooch.

The crystal tomb began to glow, and the adult Chibiusa suddenly froze in place and disappeared. Usagi gasped in surprise, "Where did she go?"

"She was expelled," King Endymion quickly explained as he quickly rushed for the front doors. Everyone followed him, and sure enough, the pink haired intruder was lying face down on the palace steps. She picked herself up and glared at King Endymion, "What was that for? I have a right to be in there, don't I? You didn't have to kick me out like some..." she thought for a moment, "gross thing."

"Small Lady," King Endymion said exasperatedly, but she spoke before he could finish, "That's what you used to call me. But it doesn't seem to fit anymore, does it? I'm not a little girl anymore. Oh, Wiseman is here."

The hooded figure appeared behind her, and Usagi felt a chill go up her spine. This was the true enemy.

"No," the former Chibiusa continued, "Not a Small Lady. You can call me... Black Lady. Yes, Black Lady, Queen of Nemesis. I like it."


	24. Act 9: Attack

Act 9: Attack

King Endymion shook his head slowly, "No. It can't really be you, Small Lady. This can't be how you have awakened."

"Chibiusa!" Usagi called out, "You can't be this person, you just can't."

There was a small beeping sound near Black Lady's feet. Luna-P had appeared, eager to be reunited with its master. It began to recite, "Small Lady, Small Lady."

Black Lady gave it a swift kick, knocking it on the walls of the castle. She glared at it, "Stupid noisy toy."

"Small Lady!" King Endymion was frustrated and mad, "Stop this! Wake up right now!"

Wiseman chuckled, "It's useless. The Rabbit you once knew no longer exists. Now she is my pretty Black Lady."

She grinned at her master, and snapped her fingers, "Prince Diamond! Sapphire!"

The two men of Black Moon appeared instantly, grinning wickedly. Sapphire held up his hands, which had been warped into Wiseman's hands. He nodded at Black Lady, "Yes, my Queen?"

Black Lady waved a hand lazily toward the sailor soldiers, "Attack them."

Prince Diamond activated his third eye and aimed it at Venus and Jupiter. They were hit with an invisible force and shoved violently to the ground. Sapphire's hands twisted toward Mercury and Mars, which wrapped around the girls like rope. He hoisted the struggling soldiers into the air, preparing to drop them.

Jupiter climbed to her feet, "Make them stop, Chibiusa! Don't you remember us?"

Venus joined her, "How can you fight here, at this place? You were born here!"

"This?" Black Lady sneered up at the castle, "I don't care about this place. See that?" she pointed toward the new Black Crystal that had been thrust into the ground, "Eventually that Black Crystal is going to suck in everything on this planet. People. Buildings. All of it. The destruction of Earth is going to happen even faster now."

Usagi had been watching everything with her mouth open, unable to believe anything. She finally spoke up, "Chibiusa... I mean, Black Lady, you did that, didn't you? You put that crystal in your own planet."

Black Lady shrugged, uncaring, "It doesn't matter. I have everything I want anyway. Hey Endymion!" she summoned, and as he appeared she sneered at Sailor Moon, "You just gonna love this."

Usagi's hands flew to her mouth when she saw Tuxedo Kamen appear at her order. His black eyes were staring blankly into the distance. She shook her head, "No, Mamo-chan, not again."

Black Lady giggled as she wrapped her arms around Tuxedo Kamen, "He's all mine now."

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi called out to her boyfriend, "Please snap out of it."

Black Lady looked up in Tuxedo Kamen's face and pointed at Sailor Moon, "Do something about this."

Without blinking, Tuxedo Kamen walked slowly toward Sailor Moon. The Moon Rod was still gripped tightly in his hand, and he raised it like a club over his head. Usagi just stood still and watched him approach, not believing for a second that he could really hurt her. She was stunned when he swung his arm down and hit her hard on her shoulder with the Moon Rod. When she hit the ground, all she could think about was the moment when the Moon Rod had first appeared. That was the weapon that they had both created, born from their two powers. And now that magic had been violated.

Black Lady smiled at Sailor Moon, "He can only hear my voice. See?" She clapped her hands and spoke playfully as if speaking to a puppy, "Come here, come to me! Good boy!" and she rewarded him with a kiss on his lips.

"No," Sailor Moon got to her knees, "That is wrong on so many levels. He's never going to love you the way he loves me. Get over it."

Black Lady ran a hand over Tuxedo Kamen's cheek, "I think Miss Moon needs another demonstration."

"Chibiusa!" Usagi screamed, "Wake up! I know how you feel right now. It's like looking into a mirror. I wanted to make Mamo-chan all mine too. I was so jealous of you. And I'm really sorry about that. I know I was wrong. I didn't know what you were up to, and I didn't want to know. I didn't want to understand how you felt. And I do now. And I'm really sorry for how I treated you."

Black Lady glared at her, listening as Usagi continued, "Everybody makes mistakes, Chibiusa. We both did. And it's okay. We both screwed things up, right? But you're too important to me and Mamo-chan for me to hate you. We don't have to fight. I love you, Chibiusa."

Pluto's voice echoed in Black Lady's mind so clearly that it was like she was standing right there, "I love you like you were my own, Small Lady." She flinched, and buried the thought of her old friend deep down as she replied, "I don't care what you have to say. You don't know anything about me!" She held out a hand and shot a burst of energy at Sailor Moon, knocking the sailor soldier back to the ground. Then she thrust her hand into the air, and a black crystal began to grow from it.

Sailor Moon stared at it, remembering when Sapphire had tried to attack her in the same way, except this crystal was different. It was growing high and higher into the sky, shooting up twice as tall as Black Lady... then three times... then four times.

Once it was bigger than Usagi's house, Black Lady grinned. Sapphire dropped Mars and Mercury in surprise. King Endymion tried to yell something, but words were escaping him. Before Black Lady threw the giant crystal like a shot put, Venus managed to yell, "Everybody brace yourselves!"

The Black Crystal landed not far from the other two, which was at least half a mile from where they stood. The impact knocked everyone, except Black Lady and Wiseman, to their feet. Black Lady laughed hysterically as the shaking began to lighten up, "This should be enough to destroy the castle. And the rest of the planet, for that matter."

"Good work, my beautiful queen," Wiseman was also chuckling, "This is our wasteland planet now. You can manipulate anything you like here, especially your old relatives from the Moon Kingdom."

Sailor Pluto's orb was glowing like a strobe light, flashing on and off radically. She bit her lip, knowing that something had to be terribly wrong. She looked at the door sorrowfully, wondering what was happening behind it. She clutched her hands tightly together and prayed for the safety of Small Lady and King Endymion, and for strength for Sailor Moon.

"Enough of this."

Usagi knew that she had to do something, and she was going to need a lot of help. Just as she did on Nemesis, she knelt and closed her eyes, focusing intensely on her power. If she could channel the power of Neo Queen Serenity once again, then she had a fighting chance. Behind her, the castle made of silver crystal began to glow. Black Lady took a step back, beginning to feel a little intimidated.

But Wiseman continued to laugh, and his eyes glowed, "You're still struggling, I see. You do know that your loved ones are in my hands? I can crush Small Lady and Tuxedo Kamen whenever I please. If you don't want them harmed, surrender yourself. Then give me Neo Queen Serenity and the two Silver Crystals."

"Never," Sailor Moon replied, "I will protect them with everything I have. And I'm going to protect everyone this planet!" she stood and extended her arms, and the castle glowed brighter.

"Fine then," Wiseman turned to Prince Diamond, "It's your turn to fire a Black Crystal into the planet."

"Another?" Prince Diamond hesitated, "But the planet..."

"I don't care," Wiseman interrupted him, "I practically have the crystal and the queen already. This planet is useless to me."

"Really?" Diamond said slowly, "And then you'll have no use for us, right?"

Black Lady scowled, "Prince Diamond, what are you saying?"

"When we were in your castle, Wiseman," Prince Diamond said, "You brainwashed us once again. But it didn't work for me. You must have wiped my mind so often that the last one cleared it. I feel like myself for the first time in months. I thought if I played along for this last battle, I could escape with my brother afterward. Because I sure can't escape from you with my other friends. I'm going to make sure Rubeus and Emerald didn't die in vain."

"Sapphire!" Black Lady pointed at Prince Diamond, "Make him shut up please!"

Prince Diamond shook his head sadly as his brother angrily walked to him, "Oh no, Sapphire, you're not really going to fight me, are you? You've always been by my side through anything, going along with every plan. But those earrings... that was your own way of resisting, and now its over. My brother is gone."

Sapphire's hands reached out toward Prince Diamond, but Diamond was faster. His evil eye activated and attacked Sapphire. His baby brother screamed as he was ripped into pieces.

"I'm sorry, Sapphire," Prince Diamond said quietly before turning to Wiseman, "And now I'm going to kill you!"

The attack from the eye was so powerful that Wiseman's cloak flew off, revealing a skeleton underneath. Everyone gasped as the pile of bones collapsed to the ground in a heap. Prince Diamond stuttered, "W... Wiseman?"

Black Lady laughed, "Did you really think he would use his true form here? That was just an illusion. _This _is the real Wiseman!"

She pointed to the sky, and dark clouds suddenly covered the sky. The ground began to shake more violently than ever before.

Sailor Pluto stared in amazement as the howling winds quieted, and the swirling rose petals settled to the invisible ground. The storm was over. She looked around, and as far as her garnet eyes could see, everything was back to normal. A chill went down her spine. Now what was happening?

She stared longingly at the door, wishing with all her might that she could run into it and fight alongside Sailor Moon. But she knew that was impossible. Her mission was to guard the gate of time, and nothing more.

It seemed like only yesterday when she received her instructions. _She was only a young girl then, but still worthy of the sailor uniform. Queen Serenity had given her the garnet orb staff and held her shoulder tenderly as she explained, "You are a unique soldier, Pluto. You are the guardian who controls time and space. I know you will do so well, but there are three rules that you must obey. First, you are not allowed to travel across time. Second, you must never leave this door. This is your post. And third..."_

The black clouds formed a whirlpool in the sky, and from the center emerged a massive sphere. Usagi was worried at first that the moon was about to crash into the Earth, but then she recognized the surface of the sinking planet. It was black, and covered in throbbing dark volcanoes. Nemesis had entered Earth's atmosphere.

The planet hung high above them, and the earthquake subsided. Two bright lights shone from the planet's surface, exactly how Wiseman's eyes would shine from under his hood, and Nemesis spoke with a thundering voice, "I am Wiseman!"

Usagi and her team covered their ears, since Wiseman's voice was unbelievably loud. It echoed across Earth as it continued, "That body I was using was nothing more than a projection of my former self. My corpse has been rotting for centuries. But the rest of me became one with the planet Nemesis. Soon I will merge my planet body with this planet, and Nemesis and Earth will become one."

Prince Diamond shook his head in disbelief. After all this time, it truly was the planet that had been manipulating him and his friends. Wiseman had never even existed. Black Lady just smirked at him.

The debris of the destroyed Crystal Tokyo began to crumble even further. The evil aura that had drifted through the city had become overpowering, and Usagi watched powerlessly as her four soldiers were overcome, and collapsed to the ground.

Usagi continued her meditation. She sat on her knees and concentrated on her power, and the castle began to shine once again. She tried to feel Neo Queen Serenity's presence again, but her future self was absent. This was all her power. The Silver Crystal of the past had activated, and it was Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon alone that was powering up the silver crystal palace.

But it wasn't enough. Soon the castle began to distort and waver, and it's glow slowly faded. Sailor Moon bit her lip, knowing that if the impenetrable castle could be harmed, then everything was over for them. Doubt rose into her mind, and her power began to falter.

King Endymion could feel panic rising up in him. He turned his back on the battle and rushed into his castle, flinging himself on his wife's tomb. If the castle was going to be destroyed, and Neo Queen Serenity would be killed, he would be with her. He squeezed his eyes shut and whispered, "Oh, Serenity."

Diana was watching the king from a distance, knowing exactly what needed to be done but knew in her heart that it was forbidden. But it had to be done; there was no other way. She rushed to the door of the time and scratched at it.

Pluto practically jumped out of her skin when she heard the scratching, and she opened the door a crack to see what was happening. Before she could ask who was there, Diana's tiny voice called out, "Pluto! Pluto!"

"Diana?" Sailor Pluto let the kitten through the door, "What's happening out there?"

"It's terrible," Diana explained breathlessly, "You have to go help the king. He and everyone else are in serious trouble. Small Lady transformed, but now she's the Queen of Nemesis! And Nemesis itself is hanging in the sky, and it's going to suck up the Earth. Pluto, you have to fight! Sailor Moon and the other soldiers have done all they can. They may not be able to save Crystal Tokyo, or even Earth!"

"But Diana," Pluto sighed, and tried to hold back tears of frustration, "I have to stay there. Even though... I want to fight with them... I want it more than anything!"

Diana growled a little before saying resolutely, "I'll stay here! I will stand guard for you!"

"What?" Pluto gasped, "You will?"

"Well, I don't have any powers," Diana shrugged her cat shoulders, "And I'm a little small, but I'm better than nothing, right? Go on Pluto, go to the others!"

Sailor Pluto smiled a little as she picked up the gray kitten and gave her a little cuddle, "Thank you Diana. You're so much like Small Lady. I will always be grateful for this."

"Okay, okay," Diana squirmed out of her hands, and called out, "Good luck!" as Sailor Pluto opened the door of time and finally stepped through it.

Endymion thought he was hearing things when he heard the sound of heels clacking on the palace floor. He turned over his shoulder to find the last person he ever thought he would see in his castle.

"Pluto?"

She nodded, "My king."

Usagi could feel her power washing over her like a waterfall. She could practically touch the purifying power of the Silver Crystal. She cupped her hands and held them above her head, drowning herself in the light. She had never felt so at one with her power, and so calm at the same time.

Black Lady was laughing at her, "Do you really think that this power is going to stop the Black Crystal? You're pathetic. Nemesis will overpower everything, including time and space, and your planet will forever be a wasteland. This is your future, Sailor Moon!"

"Oh, Chibiusa," Usagi sadly sighed. She didn't want Black Lady's words infecting her thoughts, but she couldn't help it. What if this really was the future? What if this was what she was destined to become? She felt her power falter once again, and didn't know if she would be able to recover it.

It was hopeless. Even if she could summon this power, that was all she could do with it. Her small crystal was not enough to fight a huge, evil planet. There was no choice.

"Black Lady!" Sailor Moon called out, "Stop this right now! You can't do this to us! If you take the crystal, you're going to kill people who love you. You're going to kill me! Open your eyes! You are Chibiusa. Please remember that. Don't let this happen to your world!"

Black Lady snapped her fingers, "Endymion!" and pointed at the brooch on Sailor Moon's chest. Tuxedo Kamen strode toward her and snatched the brooch off of her. Her sailor outfit vanished, and she was back in her school uniform. She could finally feel the evil vapor emanating from Nemesis, and she fainted as it overtook her.

Even though the glow of the castle had faded away, the brooch and the Moon Rod were both twinkling in Tuxedo Kamen's hands. His brainwashed mind stared at them in confusion, and somewhere in the back of his conscious he could hear a giggling teenage girl call out to him, "Mamo-chan!" He hesitated, not wanting to hand over the prize to his mistress.

Black Lady took the brooch out of Tuxedo Kamen's hand and opened it. She removed the Silver Crystal and held it in one hand, while keeping the Silver Crystal of the future in the other, "The past and the future, united at last."

Before she could do anything else, Prince Diamond grabbed her from behind, wrapping one arm around her waist while the other hand seized a Silver Crystal out of her grasp. They wrestled for the other one, until finally he threw her to the ground as he held the two crystals in his two hands victoriously.

King Endymion and Sailor Pluto exited the castle in time to see Prince Diamond's victory. Pluto was stunned at the sight of what Small Lady had become.

Prince Diamond was yelling manically, "I don't believe what anyone says anymore. I don't believe you," he pointed at Black Lady, "Or you!" he nodded at the unconscious Usagi, "And especially you!" he called out to the planet above him, "You, Wiseman! And Black Lady! You say that the Black Crystal is more powerful than the Silver Crystal by far, right? But I have _two _Silver Crystals! I and the lord of time!"

"Stop this!" King Endymion cried out, "The two crystals must never touch!"

Sailor Pluto yelled too, "If those two crystals meet, then the world will be destroyed!"

Black Lady charged Prince Diamond, "Give those back!"

Pluto rushed to her friend, "Small Lady, don't!"

Prince Diamond was laughing, "Let's all go on a little trip together!"

He thrust the two crystals toward each other.

"STOP!"


	25. Act 10: Never Ending

Act 10: Never Ending

_"The third rule," Queen Serenity spoke seriously, "Is the most important rule. Are you paying attention, Pluto?"_

_ "Of course, Queen," Sailor Pluto said nervously. _

_ "The third rule is thus: you must never stop time."_

_ Sailor Pluto gulped, "I can stop time?"_

_ "With this Garnet Orb you can. It is a very powerful talisman I have given you, and you must use it fairly. No matter what happens, you must never stop time. If you do break this rule..."_

King Endymion had braced himself for the very sudden and destructive end of the world, but nothing happened. He opened one eye to see the most bizarre sight he had ever witnessed.

Everything was perfectly frozen. The hypnotized Tuxedo Kamen's cape had been billowing in the wind, as was Black Lady's long hair as she was rushing toward Prince Diamond. But they were both extremely still. Most importantly, Prince Diamond was also frozen. The Silver Crystals were less than an inch apart, but not touching at all. King Endymion walked over to the enemy carefully, staring in amazement at the frozen tableau.

Then he heard movement. Someone was breathing heavily. He turned to see Pluto heaving as she held her Garnet Orb high above her head. He said quietly, "Oh Pluto, you didn't."

Luna and Artemis, who had also been bracing for the end, also hesitantly opened their eyes and looked around. Usagi groaned, and she and the other four soldiers made their way to their feet.

"What's going on?" Mercury asked, "I can breathe again, but the air is different. It's so still."

"Oh my God," Jupiter gasped, "What's happening?"

Usagi looked up at Nemesis, which was perfectly still. The concept came over her slowly, "Time stopped."

Tuxedo Kamen let out an audible gasp for air, and he blinked in confusion. The blue in his eyes had returned, and he seemed dazed, as if waking up from a long sleep. He finally settled his gaze on Usagi and smiled, "Usako, there you are."

Black Lady twitched, and tumbled to the ground, landing hard on her knees.

Pluto finally wavered, and drew one more deep breath before collapsing on her side. Everyone except Black Lady rushed to her side in concern. Usagi knelt to her and placed Pluto's head in her lap, "Pluto! Are you alright? Are you awake?"

King Endymion seemed frantic, "I can't believe she did that. It's a taboo to stop time."

Sailor Mercury gasped, "Pluto did _what_?"

"She stopped time," Endymion answered, "She broke the most important law."

"What law?" Usagi asked worriedly. Pluto grunted and began to violently cough in Usagi's lap.

Sailor Venus spoke up, "What do you mean, the most important law? What's going to happen to Pluto?"

"Queen Serenity..." Sailor Pluto grunted, "She told me, long ago... if I break this rule..."

_"Pluto," Queen Serenity nodded, "If you ever violate that law, you will end your life."_

Usagi only heard Pluto quietly whisper this memory, and she let it sink in. Pluto gave her life to stop time. She was going to die.

"Sailor Moon," Pluto was struggling to speak, and she was wheezing between words, "This won't... last for long... the time stop... carefully go and... get the two crystals... from Prince Diamond."

"But Pluto, you're hurt," Usagi said tenderly, not wanting to leave her friend's side. But Pluto just grabbed Usagi's wrist and tried to shove her away, "Hurry!"

"Here," Jupiter took Pluto into her strong arms, and Usagi gingerly walked to the frozen Prince Diamond. His manic expression was eerily still on his face. Usagi carefully reached into his hands and plucked the Silver Crystals from him. Black Lady just watched her, feeling weak and out of breath and defeated.

Usagi held up the crystals in front of Pluto, "Look, I got the crystals back."

Pluto smiled, "Good."

"It's all thanks to you though, Pluto. We couldn't have won without you."

Pluto tried to sit up a little as she spoke, "I wanted... to fight with... you, always, Sailor Moon... the future queen... it was a lifelong... dream of mine... so thank you... but Small Lady... you have to save her now," she began to cough harder than ever.

Black Lady stared wide eyed at Pluto.

King Endymion knelt down beside Pluto, "Stay with us, please Pluto. Just a little longer. Maybe you can get through this."

"Oh King," she smiled up at him, "I committed a crime... I must atone... pay the price... I need Diana," she reached for the Garnet Orb and gave it a tight squeeze. The orb lit up, and suddenly Diana appeared in a tiny red transport sphere. She landed safely on the ground and meowed at her friend, "Pluto! What happened?"

"Diana," Pluto reached for the kitten and gave her a final cuddle, "Thank you... for watching the door... for me."

"Oh Pluto," Diana wept, "You can't die! Hold on!"

"I held my position with honor," Pluto struggled to say with as much dignity as possible. She turned to her king and said, "I could never tell... you this."

He leaned in close, "What is it, Pluto?"

Her eyes smiled at him, "Your face looks so sad. But still... like always... you look wonderful... in your lavender suit... the beautiful colors of the sunset... my King..."

"Pluto, what are you trying to say?"

"Never mind, I can't," she whispered, "But this... this is more important. I'm so sorry, King. I can't protect Small Lady. Small Lady..."

Pluto looked toward Black Lady, who was staring back at her with worry. The dying soldier held out her hand, which contained Chibiusa's key. Her hand shook, and the key fell to the ground. Pluto relaxed, closed her eyes, and died quietly.

"No, Pluto!" Usagi screamed, "You can't be dead! Open your eyes! No! PLUTO!"

Black Lady stared at Sailor Pluto's peaceful face. Her last words had been toward her. Her last words had been her name, and she died while returning the key she had accidentally dropped. She had to remind herself that her name was now Black Lady, who had no friends, and was all alone.

She couldn't help but remember when she stole that very key from Pluto. It had been right after the attack from Black Moon. She had burst into the door of time, rushed toward Sailor Pluto, and bounced Luna-P in front of her. Her toy let out a huge cloud of pink smoke, which blinded Pluto and made her cough. In the confusion, she had yanked a key off of Pluto's belt and made a run for it.

Now she regretted it. Just looking at that key made her remember all the times they had laughed together, or played games and sang songs. She remembered when she told Pluto that she was her only friend, and Pluto had hugged her and gave her the biggest kiss on her cheek. There was the time when she came to Pluto crying, because she was afraid her mother hated her, "Pluto, Mom found out I was coming to see you, and she got upset. I'm a failure, I bet she doesn't even love me," and Pluto just scooped her up and reassured her that her mother loved her more than anyone, except maybe Sailor Pluto. She had held Small Lady's face in her hands and explained, "Just because someone doesn't hold you and kiss you all time, it doesn't mean they don't love you. There are different kinds of love. Like watching over someone from afar, that is a beautiful kind of love." And she had stared at Small Lady almost wistfully, as if longing to say something but holding it in.

She would never get to say what it was. Sailor Pluto would never speak again. She was dead. Black Lady was surprised to find tears flowing down her cheeks. She wiped them away and said out loud, "What is this feeling? It's so overwhelming. And why am I crying? Pluto... she was my only friend, my most important friend... no no no... PLUTO!"

Her black crystal earrings shattered, and one of her tears suddenly lit up with a brilliant light. Usagi gasped, remembering this scenario, and was shocked to look down at her hands and find only one Silver Crystal: her own. The other appeared in front of Chibiusa as a crystallized tear, and glowed brilliantly and surrounded her in light.

Time began to resume. Prince Diamond stumbled, and stared at his hands in confusion. Nemesis began to swirl and move again, and Wiseman's deep voice said, "What is this powerful light? It's blinding!"

All that could be seen was beautiful, pure white light. Chibiusa emerged from it, a child once again, but in a completely different outfit. She was in a sailor soldier uniform, with pink skirt, boots, bow and collar. She had the same barrettes and hair medallions as Sailor Moon, except the medallions were pointy to match Chibiusa's hairdo. Chibiusa stared down at herself in shock.

As the light dissipated, Neo Queen Serenity opened her eyes.

"Small Lady!" King Endymion gasped in surprised, "Look at you! You transformed at last!"

"Chibiusa!" Usagi cheered, "You're back to normal!"

Mamoru beamed proudly at her, "It's the birth of a new sailor soldier, the heiress of Sailor Moon."

Chibiusa was basking in the praise, and she turned to her best friend, "Pluto, look! It finally happened! I transformed!"

Pluto remained still and dead.

Chibiusa knelt next to her, her tears returning, "Pluto, no. It's not fair. I finally transformed, and you're dead. It's not supposed to be like this. Wake up already, please!"

Usagi couldn't stand to see this little girl cry. She was finally feeling angry over Pluto's death, and she turned toward Nemesis, "You manipulate good people and toy with them. You drag in people who don't even want to fight. I can't allow you to commit this evil anymore!"

She held up the Silver Crystal and cried out, "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!" Sailor Moon put her hands on her hips and called out, "I am Sailor Moon, and in the name of the moon, I will punish you, Nemesis!"

Sailor Moon held out her hands and sent her purifying power out as far as she could, cleansing the city of the evil aura.

"Here we go," Nemesis chuckled, "Now you're really ready to fight me."

"Nobody else is going to die in this conflict!" Sailor Moon declared, "Nemesis, you're not going to have your way with this planet anymore."

"Is that so?" Nemesis retorted, "It's too bad that you are already under my complete control, little sailor soldiers."

The ground began to twist and morph, as it had done at Usagi's house before the battle. While they stumbled to find their footing, Prince Diamond had one last moment of mania, "I have to do it now! If Wiseman couldn't do it then I must!" and he charged at Sailor Moon.

"Usako!" Mamoru jumped in front of Usagi, protecting her. She reached out for his hand, and she grabbed the same one that was still clutching the Moon Rod. The weapon began to glow, and they pointed it at Prince Diamond. He was quickly ripped apart in the powerful beam.

"Oh Prince Diamond," Nemesis chuckled, "Poor, stupid Prince Diamond. I waited centuries to finally unleash my power. Then I find someone who wants to rewrite history, and I entrust my power on him and his foolish friends. What a mistake that was."

Usagi lost her footing in the warped space. Soon everything was black, and she was floating in it, and she completely lost concept of what was up or down. She looked below her feet and saw some sort of strange tower with a large, black crystal on top of it. Surrounding it was a huge specter of a skull. A black moon was between its eye sockets.

"Is that you, Wiseman?" Usagi called out.

"My name is Death Phantom," it answered, "After my exile, I became the solitary king of darkness. But I became the planet Nemesis itself, and fused my will with the black crystals growing on the surface. I became the most powerful object in this galaxy! I can do anything!"

Usagi screamed, "I won't let you take my planet!" and pointed the Moon Rod at Death Phantom. The brilliant light shone from it again, and after giving her all to the attack, the white light swallowed everything. Nemesis exploded, sending a tremor across Earth, and quiet settled on Crystal Tokyo once again.

Everyone was back on their feet, as if nothing had happened. King Endymion looked around, pleased that the evil had finally left the city, until he heard his daughter cry out, "Where is Sailor Moon?"

"Sailor Moon!" Venus cried out. But their leader was gone.

"Oh no," the King said sullenly, "She couldn't have..."

"Couldn't have what?" Sailor Jupiter asked.

"She couldn't have been pulled into Nemesis when she attacked, could she? What if she was destroyed along with the planet?"

"No!" Chibiusa cried out, hugging herself and looking up at the sky where Nemesis had been.

"That can't be what happened," Tuxedo Kamen said determinedly, "Usako can't be dead. She just can't be!" he squeezed his fists, wishing with all his might that he could trade places with her, or be where she was right now. A small warmth seeped into his hands, and slowly spread across his body. He glowed with a sharp light, and very suddenly vanished.

"Where did he go?" Sailor Mars asked, "What's going on?"

Neo Queen Serenity rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and surveyed her surroundings. She seemed to be encased in some sort of protective crystal. She closed her eyes and held out her hands, meditating on her power, and the crystal around her vanished.

The palace was oddly quiet and empty. She walked through her halls, looking for her loved ones. She found the room where her four guardians were still asleep. She smiled and nodded at them, knowing that they would very soon awaken as well. Then she found her husband, King Endymion, and she instinctively rushed to his side. Remembering all the hundreds of years that he kissed her awake each morning, she gently placed her lips against his cold ones. She sent her power into him through her kiss, urging him to wake up.

Outside, King Endymion's form vanished in front of the bewildered sailor soldiers, and he awoke in his own body. His wife was smiling at his side. She held his hand and helped him sit up. The two of them smiled at each other for a while, happy to be reunited. After nearly a thousand years of marriage, words were rarely needed anymore.

They emerged from the palace hand in hand. She smiled at the four teenage soldiers that were staring at her with their mouths open. Even though the days where she fought alongside them were practically ancient history, somehow it still felt like only yesterday. But then she saw her daughter in her own sailor soldier outfit, and her grin grew even larger.

"Mommy!" Chibiusa rushed to her mother. Neo Queen Serenity sank to her knees and held out her arms, embracing her daughter in a huge hug. Chibiusa cried against her mother's shoulder, "Mommy, Mommy, are you alright?"

"Yes Small Lady," Neo Queen Serenity rubbed her daughter's back, reassuring her, "I am alright. You were the one who woke me up. It happened when your powers awakened. The power inside of you is so strong, Princess, that it overpowered the Black Crystal."

"I'm really sorry, Mom," Chibiusa took a step back to look into her mother's face, "All of this was my fault. I wanted to have power like you. So I took the Silver Crystal from your room... I didn't mean for this to happen. I failed you Mom, and this planet... and Pluto died because of it."

Neo Queen Serenity wiped away her daughter's tears, "None of this is your fault, love. Don't speak so harshly about yourself. You've had a very difficult ordeal, and you handled it like an adult. Everything is fine now, especially now that you've awakened. We can combine our powers to protect this planet now, Small Lady."

"Really?" Chibiusa fidgeted with the new brooch at her chest, "I always thought that you didn't need me."

"Of course I need you," Neo Queen Serenity smiled, "You're my daughter, my only child. I always need you." She kissed Chibiusa's cheek, and stood to address the soldiers, "Sailor Venus, Mars, Mercury and Jupiter. Once I became queen, I lost my ability to transform, and nearly all of my powers I gained as a soldier. Therefore, it was very difficult for me to defeat that madman, Death Phantom. I will always regret my decision, as it resulted in the death of a very dear friend," she looked down at Pluto, "Sailor Pluto will spend her eternal sleep in the Crystal Palace, where she can be at peace."

There was a brief moment of silence before King Endymion spoke, "Sailor Moon did not share Pluto's fate. She was pulled in by the power of the Black Crystal, and it is highly likely that she is trapped once again on that planet, or in its orbit."

"Right," Neo Queen Serenity nodded, "And Tuxedo Kamen as well. He was drawn toward her. They will finish the battle, but they need help," she looked down at her daughter.

"Me?" Chibiusa said hesitantly.

"You are the only one who can help her now, Small Lady. You will rescue Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen and help them finish the fight against Death Phantom. This time there will be victory. Are you up for it, Small Lady? Maybe this can help," she held up her long staff, and with a wave of her hand it shrank to the size of the Moon Rod. The two wands were practically identical. She handed it to Chibiusa, and she accepted it carefully.

Chibiusa's time key began to glow, and she instinctively held it up. With a flash of light she was transported away.

"What about us, Queen?" Venus asked, "Should we..."

Neo Queen Serenity interrupted her by placing a finger in her lips and smiling, "We will wait for them," and she turned her back to everyone and stared out at the ruined city and the dark sky above, preparing to wait.

When Usagi opened her eyes, all she saw was darkness. There was no sound at all either. Her eyes adjusted, and all she could make out were small spots in her vision. It slowly came over her that they weren't spots, but stars, reaching out as far as she could see. Her heart beat faster, realizing that she was in outer space.

Her body was warm, and she realized that she wasn't alone at all. She was safe in Tuxedo Kamen's arms. He smiled down at her, "Usako, you're awake."

"Mamo-chan! Where are we?"

"In a transport sphere in space," he explained, "Look, we're in orbit."

She looked where he was pointing and spotted Nemesis not too far away from them. She got a chill, "Nemesis is still here?"

He nodded, "It seems the planet that came to Earth wasn't real. It must have been another illusion."

The warped surface of the planet contorted, and soon it made the shape of Death Phantom's skeletal face. It laughed and spoke to them, "Welcome to your grave, Sailor Moon. You're being pulled in by my orbit, and you will never escape this planet. I will absorb your Silver Crystal, and become truly unstoppable! I can rule Earth, the galaxy... even the entire universe! Nothing can stop me now!"

Usagi closed her eyes and leaned up against Mamoru, "Even if we defeat him, more wars are going to start because of this crystal, aren't they? How many more people are going to die over this stone? How many more battles are we going to endure? Maybe Sapphire and Prince Diamond were right. Maybe this crystal is the cause of all the misery in the world, and it should be destroyed."

Mamoru cupped his hand against Usagi's cheek, "And how many years of peace did it bring to the world and Crystal Tokyo? How long was the era of peace in the Silver Millennium all those years ago? That magical crystal brings peace and love and all the good of the world. It brought us back together, didn't it? You can defeat Death Phantom and any other enemy that will come our way, because love is more powerful than anything. You can do this, Sailor Moon. I know you can."

"And what about the course of history?"

Mamoru smiled, "That power is far above us, Usako. We just have to follow the path we were born into. And I was born for you. It was your power that brought me here just now. I may not have as much power as you, but I will give all of it to you. I'll fight Death Phantom alongside you. I live to make you stronger, Usako."

Usagi finally grinned, "It will be like last time, won't it? The first time I used to the true power of the crystal, you were next to me. With you, I am myself. I really am one with you," and she kissed him as hard as she could, feeling their power surge between them. His arms were warm, she felt more safe than ever, and her confidence was mightier than ever before. He held her tightly against him and pressed his head on top of hers. Their hands intertwined, and for a moment they savored each other, feeling more in love than they ever had.

Usagi's chest suddenly felt very warm, almost hot. She backed away to see a bright light shining between the two of them. They separated, and the light grew until it was large enough for Chibiusa to emerge from. She smiled at the two of them, "Sailor Moon! Tuxedo Kamen! You'll never believe this, but Neo Queen Serenity is back!"

"She is?" Usagi gasped.

"Yeah! And she sent me here to fight with you!"

Nemesis laughed, "Pathetic. The all powerful queen sends a child to fight her battle." Chibiusa stared at the mocking planet and trembled a little.

"Don't listen to him," Usagi said determinedly, "What does he know anyway? Believe in your power, Chibiusa. Focus every ounce of power you have on that planet. Then send that energy of the Silver Crystal straight at him. Are you ready?"

In response, Chibiusa closed her eyes and pointed her Moon Rod at Nemesis, obeying Sailor Moon's instructions. Sailor Moon followed suit, and when they felt powered up they both called out with the power of two Silver Crystals, "MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"

The energy lit up space. The planet erupted, and the shock wave sent the three of them flying backwards. Usagi's brooch shattered, along with the two Moon Rods.

Neo Queen Serenity's staff reappeared in her hands. She smiled, knowing that the mission was accomplished. She waved her staff toward the city, and the soldiers were amazed to see the citizens appear, healthy and whole, and the buildings slowly repair themselves. Within a few minutes, Crystal Tokyo was restored to its former glory. It was as if an attack had never happened, and the people continued on with their lives.

"You did it!" Sailor Venus smiled at the queen, "You used your power to fix the city!"

"No, not my power," she nodded at her staff, "Just some leftover from Sailor Moon, Small Lady and Tuxedo Kamen. Nemesis has been destroyed, or else I wouldn't have received that small bit of their power."

The four soldiers sighed with relief, knowing that this fight was finally over.

"Come forward," Neo Queen Serenity ordered, "I will grant you your new planet powers, and name you official guardians of Sailor Moon."

They knelt to one knee, and Neo Queen Serenity knighted them, "Sailor Mars, soldier of war. Sailor Mercury, soldier of wisdom. Sailor Jupiter, soldier of protection. Sailor Venus, soldier of love. May you always fight alongside Sailor Moon and protect her and this planet. Now rise. Time is going to begin its normal flow, so you should get back to the gate of time as soon as possible."

"But what about Sailor Moon?" Sailor Venus looked up at the sky, as if Sailor Moon was going to drop out of it at any moment, "Are you going to give her new powers too?"

Neo Queen Serenity smiled sadly, "I cannot meet my past self. It is forbidden. I shall return to the castle before she arrives. But..." she held her staff up to the sky, "I can give her power from here. Sailor Moon, soldier of mystery. In order to protect the Silver Crystal, I bestow upon her a new compact with cosmic power. May you always fight with a strong heart."

"Sailor Moon! Sailor Moon!"

Usagi woke up to see who was calling out her name, and saw it was Chibiusa. The pink haired girl was happily smiling over her, and Tuxedo Kamen was at her side.

"What... Nemesis is gone, right? What happened to us?" she felt her body to make sure she was alright, and her hand brushed over her new brooch. It was red and heart-shaped, with a white crescent moon in the middle, the symbol of the Silver Millennium, "Where are we?"

"Crystal Tokyo!" she heard Sailor Mercury answer, and she turned around and smiled at her four friends.

"Look at everything!" Sailor Mars gestured toward the bustling city, "It's all back to normal, thanks to you and the Queen."

"Wow," Sailor Moon got to her feet, "Where is the Queen?"

Sailor Venus nodded toward the castle, "In there. Her and King Endymion went back inside. We should get back home too; time is flowing normally again."

"Come on!" Chibiusa took out her time key, "I'm an expert at going to the past now. I'll lead you in place of Pluto."

Sailor Moon stared longingly at the Crystal Palace, wondering what it would be like to meet her future self. She remembered what happened the last time she had stayed too long near Neo Queen Serenity, and didn't want that to happen again. But she still wanted to meet her, even if it would be just for a minute. Her heart felt a little heavy, and she didn't want to go back to the past just yet.

Neo Queen Serenity was pacing in a hallway. She debated whether or not to go back outside and meet Sailor Moon. She knew it shouldn't happen, but she still desperately wanted to. She sighed, and weighed her heart over her responsibility. As usual, her heart won, and she grinned as she picked up her long dress and ran for the front doors.

Sailor Moon looked back at Chibiusa, who was waving for her to follow, and decided against it. She rushed for the castle doors, and stopped in her tracks when Neo Queen Serenity ran right up to her as well.

The two of them stared at each other for a minute, lost in amazement. Then they both erupted in an identical laugh.

Neo Queen Serenity nodded, "Sailor Moon. It's been quite a while since I've seen you."

"Queen," Sailor Moon spoke hesitantly, "You look amazing. You really do. I can't believe it."

There were tears in the queens eyes, "I just want to say thank you. For everything."

"No, thank you," Usagi was starting to cry as well, "Really, I mean it. There's just so much I want to say but... I don't know what to say at all."

King Endymion appeared at his wife's side, and soon the four adult guardian soldiers stood next to their queen. Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako gasped at seeing their own selves as well.

"Don't worry, Sailor Moon," the queen grinned, "You'll get to ask it someday. Until we meet again?"

They all nodded.

"Farewell."

Usagi blinked, and stared up at the ceiling of her bedroom. She was in her pajamas, curled up in her bed. The sun was rising and the birds were singing. She sat for a moment, wondering if everything had just been a dream after all, until her bedroom door opened and Chibiusa popped her head inside, "Are you awake, Usagi? It's time to get ready for school!"

Usagi smiled. She was thrilled that her adventure wasn't a dream after all. Now, life without Chibiusa was a little hard to imagine, "Yeah, I'll be right there!"

Chibiusa dashed out the front door while Usagi was still putting her shoes on, and she chased the little girl halfway down the street. Chibiusa giggled when Usagi grabbed her.

"No way, Chibiusa-chan, I'm never letting you run off on your own again! And what' up with your backpack? It's heavy."

Chibiusa adjusted the straps on her back, and her pack rustled. It was bulging, "It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"Chibiusa, you can't bring all that stuff to school, you're gonna get in trouble."

The small girl pouted a little, and said quietly, "I'm going back to the future after school today. So I packed all my stuff to take with me."

Usagi felt stiff. Chibiusa was going to leave her. It didn't seem quite right that she finally got used to this girl and fell in love with her, and now she would be leaving forever, "Oh. Right. That makes sense. Um," she wiped her eyes, "Hey, I left something at home. You go on without me, okay?" and she rushed back into her house.

Chibiusa followed her, and found that Usagi had flung herself on her bed and buried her face in her pillow, "Usagi? I'm sorry, don't be mad. I really want to stay here with you. But... aren't you always annoyed with me when I'm around?"

Usagi sat up and practically yelled at her, "That's not it! You're just being selfish again! You don't care about my feelings at all! You can't just always do what you want without thinking what other people are gonna feel!"

Tears welled up in Chibiusa's eyes, "Stop crying!"

"You stop crying!"

Chibiusa ran up to Usagi and jumped into her arms. The two of them hugged tightly and cried on each other.

"I'm gonna miss you when you're gone," Usagi said between sobs, "Don't you realize that? Don't leave me. We just got used to each other. I want you to stay," she took a deep breath and sat Chibiusa next to her on her bed, "I'm sorry, I really shouldn't be crying, should I? It's best that you go back to where you belong. I'll come see you off, okay?"

Chibiusa nodded, wiping her red face.

Usagi looked around Ichinohashi Park, remembering what happened the last time she was here. This was where she was kissing Mamoru, and Chibiusa had fallen on top of her. It felt almost like it happened years ago. So much had changed since then, but it was a welcoming change.

Mamoru was waiting for them, and the two girls were surprised to see him. He knelt down to Chibiusa, "You're leaving today, aren't you? I had a feeling."

Chibiusa nodded. She didn't want to tell Mamoru she was leaving. She didn't have the guts to say it.

He handed her the Tuxedo Kamen doll, "You forgot something."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged her doll. Mamoru pulled her into a close hug, "Don't cry, little bunny."

"Mamo-chan," she gave him a little kiss on his cheek, "You're always gonna be my prince."

Luna-P beeped from inside her bag, and she took it off her back to fish through it, "Mom and Dad are calling me. It's time for me to leave. But I have something for you Usagi," she pulled out a new rod, which had even more jewels on it and a large, sparking heart on the top, "This is for you, from Mommy."

"Chibiusa, I..." Usagi accepted it, not knowing what to say.

Chibiusa just giggled, "I like that nickname. It's way better than Small Lady. Thank you for taking care of me, both of you. I love you. It was really fun living with you family, Usagi, and being with everyone. But I should really go now."

"Wait, Chibiusa," Usagi didn't want her to go just yet, but she didn't know what to say to make her stay longer.

"Bye Mamo-chan! Bye Usagi! Usagi," she smiled wide as she held up her key and the light appeared, "No matter what you thought before, I always loved you the most."

As she turned to rush into the light of time, Usagi called out one more time, "Chibiusa!" before she vanished into thin air. Usagi buried her face in her hands, "Why is she always running away from us, no matter what we do?"

"It's okay," Mamoru wrapped an arm around her, "It's not like we're never going to see her again, right? She's our daughter. We'll see her again."

"Right," Usagi said, "Someday."

Kotono rushed up to Rei, "You're back! You're back! Are you feeling alright? You were absent for such a long time!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Rei said, "Don't worry about me. Kotono-chan, are you crying?"

She was, "I was just so scared that you had spontaneously combusted!"

Rei laughed, "No, of course not. I may be a little on fire sometimes though."

Asanuma had rushed toward Makoto when he saw her enter the fruit parlor and wrapped his arms around her, "Mako-chan! You're alright!"

"Yeah, Asanuma-chan," she laughed, "You've never called me that before."

"Did you win?" he asked eagerly, "Did you defeat the enemy?"

"We always do," Makoto smiled at him.

Next door, Motoki was practically in tears when he saw Minako and Ami enter the arcade, "You're back! I'm so relieved! I got super worried for a while that the arcade's biggest celebrity would never return!"

Minako laughed, "Sailor V always saves the day! You know that, Furu-chan!"

Motoki grabbed Ami into a tight hug, "And I'm glad you're safe too, Ami-chan! This arcade was so lonely without you!"

Ami blushed brighter than she ever had, "R-r-really?"

Usagi and Mamoru stayed at the park, watching the sun set while sitting on a bench. Usagi had her face in her hands as she looked up at the sky, "It feels like one long dream, doesn't it? It's all such a rush, like a roller coaster, and when its over it feels like it didn't really happen at all."

"But it wasn't a dream," he replied, "It all just happened so quickly. I bet that future will be here before we know it. And we're going to rule the Earth together."

Usagi stared down at the new weapon in her lap, "Do you think I will ever need to use this scepter? Is another battle about to start soon?"

"I hope not," Mamoru said, "I could sure use a break from fighting."

"I guess it doesn't matter," Usagi smiled at him, "No matter what battles are coming our way, we already know the outcome. A lot of things are going to happen between now and the future. But you'll always be with me through all of it. Right?"

"Of course I will," he said as he leaned forward and gently kissed her lips. They were so absorbed in each other that they didn't notice a light sparkling above their heads. Mamoru knew something was about to happen when he felt Luna-P bounce on his head once again.

A second later, a pink haired girl crash landed on Usagi. Before she could get her bearings, Chibiusa grabbed Usagi's pig-tails and announced, "I'm back!"

"What is going on?" Usagi shrieked.

"Here," Chibiusa handed Mamoru a letter.

He opened it and read aloud, "Greetings. Would you please help Small Lady train to become a soldier? It would be so very kind of you. Please take care of our daughter. Thanks. Kisses and hugs, Serenity."

"What?" Usagi grabbed the letter and read it.

"I get to stay with you again Usagi!" Chibiusa happily announced, "My room is still all set up, right?"

"This is fake!" Usagi announced, "You wrote this letter just so you can come back and bug me again!"

"It's not fake," Mamoru said quietly, "That's your handwriting, Usako. Your spelling and handwriting hasn't improved at all."

"Chibiusa!" Usagi tried to swat Chibiusa with the letter, and the two Usagis chased each other around the park.

Mamoru just laughed and smiled, "So this is what peace is like."

_Author's Note: I hope you've been enjoying my version of the original Sailor Moon! I've been having tons of fun writing it. The next part will hopefully be up around the end of this month, or in early September, hopefully before the manga starts to rerelease. I would really appreciate comments, suggestions, or anything that's on your mind! Again, this was written for the fans as well as people who have never heard of Sailor Moon, so if you want to get your friends or family involved in the Sailor Moon love, this is a great way to introduce them to the series. _

_While you're waiting for the next chapters to be uploaded, you can always check out my fictionpress account (same username) where I have all my original writings. Almost all of my stories have some Sailor Moon homages in them :) Also you can tweet me anytime sallyslytherin, I answer every reply I get. I am always on the lookout for betas, so if you're interested, send me a message on here or on Twitter._

_Peace, love, and moon power!, _

_Jenn_


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